Paris, december 2011

Eating together in Paris

 

 

We organised a plant-based meal from locally sourced, untreated products. The cultural backgrounds of the guests reflected populations generally excluded by institutional catering which does not satisfy their freedom of conscience: Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and others such as atheists and agnostics. The guests benefited from the presence of the partners to engage in multicultural conversations, reading a common text in Arabic and Hebrew, etc. Social inclusion was discussed as well as ethical questions such as animal exploitation, which aroused considerable interest.

The number and quality of the dishes raised issues of nutritional balance and environmental impact compared with animal products. The principle of a meal that everyone can share is a way of bringing down cultural barriers and bringing people together to talk about the impact of our dietary choices. The dishes themselves illustrated the subjects we are teaching and provided answers to social, environmental and public health issues that can be met by ethical nutrition.