Julia, what’s on the menu for your (vegetarian) Christmas feast?

We don’t have a fixed Christmas meal and always eat something different. We like to have raclette with potatoes. The kids love to have some pineapple with it – don’t tell the Swiss! And if you want to try something other than the classics, you can try a dish from the home of Jesus: falafel with hummus. Feel free to get creative with the sides!

How important is sustainability for your work / your projects at ifok?

Sustainability touches everything: My projects deal with sustainability issues, such as how we can reduce meat consumption in Germany to protect the climate. Another project supports municipalities that want to make their administration fit for the future. But sustainability is also an important question for ifok itself: How can we work sustainably in our projects – that means working in a way that conserces resources, but also has a long-term effect?

What rituals are part of the winter season for you?

Going outside at the first snow and making a snowball with my bare hands, so I can feel the cold; sitting around the Christmas wreath with some Stollen (a German Christmas cake) and singing by candlelight; going through my family’s pile of gloves and finding as many pairs as possible (a ritual that is rarely successful); baking Kipferl (crescent-shaped cookies); writing Christmas mail; and meeting my family.