The English Corner of the College of Management organized its third event of the semester on March 26th — Food for Thought : Advocating Sustainability Through a Plant-Based Cafe. This session was hosted by Lilyth, a student from the IBMBA program and the owner of "Mottainai Plant-based Whole Food Café", to share the difficulties and challenges of green entrepreneurship, as well as the philosophy behind vegetarianism. The restaurant is located in an old residential area near the school and is one of the few vegan restaurants in Kaohsiung.

Lilyth shared her journey to becoming a vegetarian, which began with her love for pet dogs, and extended to all kinds of animals, especially livestock in farms. These animals live in harsh environments, their freedom was deprived from birth to the slaughterhouse. Moreover, vegetarianism is closely related to the green policies actively promoted by various countries recently. Long-term deforestation was implemented due to the process of producing feed for chickens and cows. Her philosophy for the restaurant is to "rethink what we eat", as dietary choices are inseparably linked to environmental changes. Even the restaurant's facilities are environmentally friendly, for example, the inclusion of a compost toilet that converts human waste into compost for the garden behind the restaurant.

Students asked Lilyth in English about her entrepreneurial experiences. Since most of the ingredients are organic and environmentally friendly, the cost is higher than that other regular restaurant and leading to higher prices. Therefore, having a clear restaurant positioning and attracting target customers to become regulars are crucial for the sustainability of the restaurant. Through this session, students acquired vocabulary related to vegetarianism. Amidst the trend of green diets, this event helps students share vegetarian experiences with foreign friends and even conceive ideas for green entrepreneurship.

(Written by. Alex Tsui, The Department of Sociology / Proofread by the Media of the College of Management)