After enjoying breakfast at our KU Leuven dormitory, we loaded a bus and drove from Leuven to Brussels.  Our first stop was the U.S. Mission to the E.U. office where we talked with a US Department of Agriculture Foreign Service Officer.  We learned about the EU’s connection with the United States and how they work together in trade negotiations, as well as some of the differences in opinions on exports and imports. Our discussion was stimulating and was a great way to start our day off.

Next, we headed to the Food/Drink Europe interest group office to listen to three different speakers. We chatted about the association as a whole and their thoughts on food waste. The Food/Drink Europe organization is made up of mostly small and medium-sized farms and agricultural sectors. Their organization is focused on promoting trade for these businesses, while also improving food safety and finding ways to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain.

For lunch, we visited a small café called Pistolet where we met with Marta Messa, who works for the Slow Food Europe Liaison Office. Marta talked to us about the Slow Food Movement and the benefits that this global movement offers for people and the environment. She gave us some facts about the local chapter, initiatives, and the movement as a whole. While we enjoyed some delicious sandwiches, an intern who recently graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy explained her internship and different topics she had studied while in school.

Our final briefing was at the European Commission buildings where we were fortunate to meet with Mr. Simon Pascoe and Mr. Olivier Diana. To our surprise we were able to have our lecture in the Euro-zone commission meeting room. Mr. Pascoe talked to us about the EU Commission in general and policies they have been trying to implement. Mr. Diana chatted with us about food waste, food security, and the Common Agriculture Policy. We were all full of great questions about these topics as many of the points related to our group research projects.

Finally, we drove from Brussels back to Leuven where we met with the KU Leuven study abroad students whom we were with in Paris.  Professor Piet Sercu and the class hosted us for a delicious BBQ dinner. It was great to meet and socialize with students from other countries. All in all, the steak and drinks were delicious and the dinner was a great end to a very long and educational day.