June 2020: The Residence by Cenizaro reinforces commitment to nurturing people and planet with World Environment Day launch of the Earth Basket programme

The Residence by Cenizaro, part of Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts, commemorates World Environment Day on 5 June by demonstrating its commitment to conservation, beginning with the complete rollout of the Earth Basket initiative across most of The Residence by Cenizaro properties this summer. These kitchen gardens are part of Cenizaro’s greater global strategy to deliver world-class hospitality through enriching experiences for guests, staff and the local community.

The new Earth Basket initiative is part of the Cenizaro Cares programme and challenges each resort to successfully transform an area of the resort into a year-round on-site kitchen farm. Spearheaded by each resort’s Green Committee, independence is given to each resort to develop the farms to suit their unique needs and to best showcase native produce. Food waste from the resort is composted in-house and is subsequently used to nourish the kitchen gardens without any further use of pesticides to aid growth. This initiative hopes to showcase the local biodiversity of each destination and provide rich varieties of zero kilometre produce at peak freshness while also serving as an educational tool for staff, guests and the broader community.

“We want to be more than a window for our guests to view the natural beauty of their surroundings. We want to offer travellers an immersive, enriching opportunity for them to experience the real local biodiversity of each of our properties, the full flavours of the land and connect with the community,” says Alexys Tjhia, Director of Corporate Responsibility at The Residence by Cenizaro. “We are incredibly privileged to be in some of the world’s most breathtaking places and we want to ensure that we pay it back by kickstarting efforts to preserve and grow what makes them so special.”

At The Residence Bintan for example, their Earth Basket has produced a harvest of almost 600kg of fresh produce since its inception in December 2019. The team has a resort family of chickens and ducks to provide fresh eggs; Dwarf Coconut Trees, Pulai Trees and Singapore Cherry Trees to name a few, have been planted at the resort; and the kitchen garden has its very own ‘spice garden’, herbs from which guests can learn to make jamu, a traditional Indonesian herbal tonic.

The Residence Maldives is cultivating Ayurvedic plants to incorporate into an uplifting, health-focused beverage offering as well as producing house-made virgin coconut oil for its spa treatments. The Residence Tunis is also producing its very own olive oil using local harvests to enhance its culinary offering. The hope is for each Earth Basket to showcase the plants unique to the cuisine and culture of each destination.

The Earth Basket initiative has also had significant positive impact on the environment through the rehabilitation of degraded land into a thriving habitat with increased biodiversity. At some resorts, the native fauna has also begun to return as they evolve into a welcoming, healthy habitat.

Each kitchen farm is guided and grown through close cross-departmental collaboration, giving the local teams ownership over these ecological achievements, and raising awareness of the importance of environmental consciousness. To this end, other ongoing projects led by Cenizaro’s teams, such as mangrove restoration and coastal clean-ups outside resort boundaries, have been organised to involve, educate and benefit the broader local community.

With the Earth Basket programme fully integrated into elevating the guest experience, residents can expect to come home to nature at each property under The Residence collection. The produce will feature in the culinary and spa offering, allowing guests to eat well and live well. On-site activations in the farms will cater to guests of all ages, enabling them to create memorable first-hand experiences with nature. The farms will serve as immersive showcases of local biodiversity with head gardeners leading tours for guests to learn about the ecosystem and native plants.

The ecological sensitivity nurtured in the staff and the broader local communities also shapes the guest experience. Through workshops in the farms and culinary masterclasses for local cuisine, special packages have been designed for guests to learn about eating well through farming and sustainable living as well as to consider how personal wellness is critically connected to the preservation of the environment. The opportunity to experience local cuisine and native produce also helps guests develop deeper insights and connections to the local culture of their destination.

These initiatives are part of the overarching Cenizaro Cares programme encompassing all properties under the group. It is the core of Cenizaro’s sustainability strategy and underlines its commitment towards inspiring change for a more sustainable tomorrow. It is also exploring opportunities for guests to engage local communities and aid in nurturing the future over a shared sense of purpose.