Over the years, interest in the Mediterranean Diet has increased, so much so that it was recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 2010. Initially, the transnational candidature of Italy, Spain, Greece and Morocco was accepted, later extended to Cyprus, Croatia and Portugal in 2013.
The main aim of this recognition was to safeguard traditional practices, knowledge, strong identity, a sense of community and continuity, and skills passed down from generation to generation in many Mediterranean countries.
However, the MD has made it possible to create an identity that goes beyond territorial and dietary boundaries, combining scientific and humanistic culture. It represents a useful tool to concretely face the near future and its challenges. Among these, the role of MD could be crucial in the achievement of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and in the European Farm to Fork strategy for the reduction of the environmental impacts of the agri-food sector.
Moreover, this model represents a system that, starting from the local and projecting to a global scale, is capable of contributing to the construction of a future in name of information, education, and the new generations.
Reference:
1. https://www.unesco.it/it/PatrimonioImmateriale/Detail/384
2. https://ec.europa.eu/food/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_it
Vocabolario ARIANNA
La dieta mediterranea