One of the main advantages of being in an international community is: food!
Every Friday there is a workshop in Etyek, where also us, Budapest volunteers join and learn about various topics related to sustainability..
During these events we share a meal prepared by 2-3 volunteers. Last week, it was us, Aysel and Ola, who prepared Azerbaijani and Nigerian food.
In Azerbaijan we mainly cook meals with meat, but since most of the community in Etyek is vegetarian, we choose to go meatless.
Aysel prepared an amazing red-lentil soup, that had to be eaten with few drops of fresh lemon, and a Russian salad, Ola cooked us beans.
To our great shock, we learnt that she used palm oil to prepare the food.
When we talk about sustainability, climate change and protecting endangered animals, one of the main enemy is palm oil.
However it provides income to the countries where it is exported from, it contributes heavily to deforestation of tropical forests - them being replaced by palm trees, and as a consequence, the loss of habitat for several species, including the orangutans.
But after having a discussion with Ola, we realized that her using of the palm oil was the most authentic thing she could do. In Nigeria, her native country, that is the oil that has been used commonly for centuries, as the palm trees have been just around the corner.
So, this taught us a a big lesson about perspectives!
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