Fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, seeds, fish, a lot of good extra-virgin olive oil, a moderate amount of dairy products, and a little bit of red meat: this is the Mediterranean Diet. Exactly ten years have passed since it was declared an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity” by UNESCO. An important milestone, which we owe to professor and scientist Ancel Keys: In 1962, Keys traveled from the United States to Naples so he could better understand why the local residents were less prone to cardiovascular disease. In the area of Pollica (Salerno, Campania region), he discovered the Mediterranean Diet and all its benefits: He started to study it and began promoting it as a lifestyle, for its positive impact both for health and for the planet.
By promoting local food production and local consumption patterns, in fact, the Mediterranean Diet encourages sustainable agriculture. In 13 Mediterranean cities, adherence to this food model has shown reductions in water impact of 19-43% as compared to the usual diets in these cities. In Spain, the Mediterranean Diet has contributed to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (72%), land use (58%), energy consumption (52%), and water consumption (33%). On the contrary, adherence to a Western food model implies an increase in all of these parameters between 12 and 72% (according to the FAO).
To celebrate the first ten years since the Mediterranean Diet’s UNESCO recognition, nutrition students and activists gathered in Pollica, which has become the symbolic capital of the Mediterranean food model, to participate in a “food bootcamp” – or the “Food & Climate Shapers Boot Camp, Mediterranean Edition” more specifically – which finished up on September 12th of this year. The educational “boot camp” was organized by Future Food Institute, an international network of food specialists and innovators who promote a sustainable future for food. Participants attended a program of conferences, gastronomic experiences, community dinners, field visits, and a forum for challenging ideas. An important supporter of the event in Pollica is also world-renowned pasta company Barilla, with their own commitment to the Mediterranean Diet as a cultural model that honors both health and sustainability.
"The Mediterranean Diet is not only a way of eating. Above all, it’s a way of life," explains Andrea Malservisi, Barilla Global Communication, and Equity Director. "We are convinced that recipe after recipe, we can truly produce a better impact on the planet, starting right now, and that pasta is one of the most important Mediterranean foods for the future.”