Food and Beverages

Drinking water from large central facilities in Germany continues to have a very good quality, say the results of the latest report on drinking water quality published by the German Environment Agency (UBA). "Drinking water in Germany is perfectly safe to drink – it can even claim to be excellent quality when supplied by the larger water utilities. Drinking water is subject to frequent testing, sometimes daily" (UBA's President, Maria Krautzberger).

Try it – it tastes better than many of the bottled varieties!

Locally produced fruit and vegetables (especially organic ones) have the lowest ecological footprint – but only if they are currently in season. In June, for instance, an apple grown in New Zealand and shipped around the world has a better ecological assessment than an apple grown nearby but kept for months in a cold storage facility. Just outside Hamburg, there is the 'Altes Land' (literally translated 'Old country'), the largest contiguous fruit growing area in Northern Europe. It produces delicious cherries, plums and – in particular – apples. All fruit offered at the conference comes from there. And fortunately, apples are in season right now!
If you have time after the conference, you can visit the fruit farms during the 'Days of the open farm' in and around Jork on Sept. 7 and 8, pick plums and apples, and taste their juices and brandies!

We invite you to test the vegan options provided by our caterer! Here some facts that might help you to take up this 'challenge':
Plant-based food uses fewer natural resources and emits less pollutants and residues into the environment than animal-based food (meat, dairy products and eggs).
13 kg cereals (not grass!) are used to produce 1 kg beef – but these cereals could also be eaten directly instead. The production of animal-based protein requires on average 11 times more fossil energy than the production of plant-based protein (in the case of beef even 40 times more). And the use of water and land is also considerably higher. Therefore, plant-based food is more efficient to feed a constantly growing population.
The greenhouse gases emitted by agriculture come mostly (80%) from livestock production; additionally, the animal’s residues pollute land and water.
(Sabaté J, Soret S: Sustainability of plant-based diets: back to the future. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul;100 Suppl 1:476S-82S. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071522. Epub 2014 Jun 4).

But plant-based food is not only less of a strain on the environment, it also provides you with the opportunity to try delicious foods you might not have tested before. Therefore: go for it!