It is sad to
think that our journey in Belgium is coming to an end. This experience
has been one of many more to come! Traveling to Europe has opened my
eyes to the different cultures around the world. With this experience I
have made some lifetime friends which I will cherish. This second week
was very different from the first.
This week our lectures have been
mainly bio-based, food safety, and water management. We attended neat
facilities that went hand and hand with our lectures. Learning about the
fermentation science at the Delirium Brewery was one of my favorites.
The science behind brewing beer is actually very interesting to learn
about. Who knew the fermented consumer good process was so complex! By
giving the excess grain from the beer to farmers, the brewery showed a
practice of sustainability.
Another tour that the group participated in
was the Cacao lab. Cacao lab was a good way to learn how Belgian
chocolate is made in a sustainable way. It is good to know that the
chocolate here is made sustainably because I plan to bring a ton of it
home to share with family and friends. One lecture that stuck out to me
this week was the packaging and sustainability lecture. This lecture
consisted of information on how packaging is meant to keep food fresh
and have a longer shelf life. Packaging is also better for the
environment in the long run.
Even though this two-week program is
coming to a close, I am happy to say my journey is Europe is not.
Luckily I am able to stay one more week to do some extra traveling for
myself. It will be nice to have this time to explore.
XOXO
XOXO
Hailey
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Read more from Hailey at http://studyabroadhaileypaulsen2016.weebly.com/in-country
To find out more about the U of A Faculty-Led: European Agriculture-Food Chain Sustainability
program at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/SUSTEurozone
