Noortevahetus "Food for Thought" Taanis

“Food for Thought” - that was the name given to the youth exchange taking place at 20.11 - 28.11 in Denmark. Although only three countries participated in the project - Denmark, Poland, and Estonia - there were a total of eight nationalities present. In addition to the aforementioned countries, Romania, China, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan were also represented. The project's main goal was to draw attention to food waste and the environmental issues associated with food production, as well as to share experiences and tips on how to eat more sustainably.


The project took place 20 kilometers away from the city center of Copenhagen in an area known as Holte. It was a remarkably scenic location amidst horse pastures and picturesque landscapes. Upon our arrival, the weather began to turn brisk, and our shelter for the night was chillingly cool. We had to keep the stoves burning around the clock to maintain warmth indoors. Fortunately, the cold issue was eventually resolved, and it did not impede our activities. As the project focused on sustainable nutrition, all meals were naturally 100% plant-based. To ensure that vegan cuisine was not monotonous and did not merely consist of salads, professional chef Anna Sofie prepared on-site dishes. Her culinary creations, which can be a source of inspiration for others, can be found on her Instagram account @artistkok. To everyone's surprise, all the prepared dishes were distinctly unique and delicious.


The inaugural day of the project was to get to know each other and to foster team spirit. On the second day, the project took a startling turn with some discomforting facts. Were you aware that approximately 270 thousand sharks are killed daily in the world? Or that there are around 28,000 species on the brink of extinction? When the premises of the worldwide situation were established, then it was time to return to our roots and present what is commendable in our own countries, while also identifying the problematic areas that could oversee improvement. For us, it became apparent that although there are many good approaches and aspects in other nations relating to this issue, regrettably there still remains awfully lot of nuances that demand attention, and solving them necessitates concrete solutions.


During the exchange, we were offered the opportunity to visit Copenhagen and also local Christmas market. While visiting the market we were presented with various creative tasks. For example, we got to learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in Danish and discover other Danish cultural holiday customs. Can you fandom the fact that they eat potatoes with sugar? Brunede Kartofler, look it up!


The unequivocal highlight of the project was titled “ School Kitchen”. In the morning, various dishes were assigned for us to prepare. - soup, one-pot meal, baked dishes, and dessert - we were also given restrictions on the type of packaging allowed for purchasing the ingredients. The evening feast consisted of our prepared four-course meal. As expected our culinary endeavors also had an element of competition in them. In line with the project theme, the main goal of this exercise was to generate as little food waste as possible. The team that achieved this goal got their hands on a prize.


On the final day of the project, we consolidated all of our knowledge that we learned and acquired during the project into a single (albeit somewhat unorthodox) recipe book. Also as an add-on to authentic food recipes, this compendium has tips and tricks on how to diminish one's food wastage, during their day-to-day lives, thereby achieving the project's goal of how to make our cooking and consumption more sustainable.

As usual cultural evenings unfolded during the project, where representatives from each country showcased his or her nation's culture through presentations, dances, and games. Naturally, intriguing dishes and appetizers adorned the tables, inviting participants to partake and taste them. These evenings usually evolved into spirited affairs, with dances and games extending into the early morning hours. The people present were diverse and the group exuded both humor and unity, which filled our days with laughter and socializing with each other. As a final collective activity, we gathered in a circle and chose a single word that would serve as a lasting reminder of this experience. It was heartwarming to hear that, for many, Estonia would be remembered, as this marked their initial encounter with our nationality, sparking a genuine desire to visit our country and see its culture. Ultimately this is the goal of these projects to raise awareness of significant issues, foster friendships across various cultures to build unity, and to establish meaningful lifelong connections. ✨