Author: Emma Sutton |  Major: Animal Science | Semester: Summer 2025

Group Visit to a Biotechnology Research Facility

This summer, I spent two weeks in Ghent, Belgium, with the faculty-led Sustainability in the Euro Food System program. I chose this program because it was a short-term study abroad program offered within Bumpers College. I am an Animal Science major, but I specifically chose this program because it was not an animal science focus. I was looking to study a topic that could be useful in my career path as a veterinarian while not directly related to veterinary science. I am looking forward to pursuing a dual Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Master of Public Health Degree starting this fall, and I am interested in One Health, the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment is interconnected. This program allowed me to learn and gain insight into environmental practices that can benefit humans and animals. During my two weeks, I learned about agricultural, cultural, and economic practices within Belgium and the European Union. Most of our days began by biking to campus, where we had our lectures in the morning. Our lectures covered interesting and innovative topics like sustainable agriculture, beer production, food packaging, and constructed wetlands. Each afternoon, we visited a new site. Some of these places included a brewery, a cheese factory, and a large greenhouse production called Tomato Masters. Each of these sites had unique ways of being environmentally sustainable and reducing their carbon footprint. The site visit that impacted me the most was to Tomato Masters. It is a simple idea, growing tomatoes and peppers in large greenhouses. But, there was so much thought into the care and sustainability effects. They watered all of their plants from rainwater collected from outdoor tarps, they used bee colonies to naturally pollinate, the gasses released are recycled and used as carbon dioxide fertilizer, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. They are also focused on providing safe and healthy products to their customers. Seeing the efforts taken impacted me to look into the production of my personal food products. The biggest change that I found staying in Ghent was the mode of transportation. The main way everyone got around was by bike. Owning a car, especially for young people, is becoming less common. I rented a bike for my stay because I wanted to travel how a local student would. Every morning I biked to campus and got to travel along a beautiful canal. It was a peaceful change of pace from my morning routine in the U.S. There were also many more means of public transportation, like tram, bus, and trains. One of the things that surprised me the most about being in Ghent was the variety of languages spoken. There are three official languages in Belgium: Dutch, French, and German. The language in the Flanders region, where we stayed, was Dutch, but everyone we met also spoke English. It was fascinating to me to see how easily they could switch between the languages. We had a short Dutch course, where I got to learn some useful sentences and phrases.In my free time on the weekend I took the chance to travel to Paris! After my first ever train ride early in the morning I spent all day wandering down the streets and canals sightseeing. I got to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and the Tuileries Garden outside the Louvre. This was a bucket list experience and it could not have been more perfect. Getting to go to Belgium with this program was eye opening and life-changing. I will always remember the places, and the amazing people I got to meet. I am thankful for the opportunities the University of Arkansas has provided me with.