The cultural model of the Mediterranean Diet (MD), evident in popular celebrations and festivities that celebrate food, has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a heritage to be protected, given its fragility and continued erosion in current Mediterranean societies.
Preserving the Mediterranean Sea implies transnational participation from governments, the cultural, agricultural and health sectors, and citizens, in order to preserve cultural diversity, biodiversity, protect the productive and regenerative capacity of soils, and the health of populations. Despite this consensus, we must go further and identify the sectors and areas of intervention where we can make a difference. This is a contribution to the necessary discussion.
1) Diet means way of life, the “daiata” of the ancient Greeks. In the Mediterranean, an important route of communication and trade in the history of humanity, this way of life has always been in rapid change, expanding and adapting over the last 8000 years. One of the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is, therefore, adaptation and diversity. Adaptation to climate, to new plants, to new knowledge and to influences between cultures. Preserving the Mediterranean diet is preserving biodiversity and cultural diversity.
2) The Mediterranean Diet has several regional expressions, a consequence of microclimates, cultural, religious and health conditions. In all of them, a refined and dense culinary knowledge coexists, along with a great recognition of the importance of meals, of those who cook, and of the conviviality around the table. This conviviality is not wasted time. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet is preserving the time families have to produce, buy, cook, and be together at the table.
3) The Mediterranean Diet has a direct relationship with astral and agricultural cycles. The Mediterranean Diet adapts to the climate. It is essentially seasonal, varying according to the seasons and its fresh, locally produced foods. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet means preserving the ability to produce near where we live and to buy fairly from those who produce. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet means preserving local producers and strengthening regional economies.
4) The Mediterranean Diet is recognized as promoting health. This is due to the foods it incorporates (olive oil, cereals, legumes, fruit…), the way they are prepared, but mainly due to its frugality. Frugality means eating according to energy needs and focusing on quality rather than quantity. Only in this way can diseases such as obesity or diabetes be avoided. Maintaining a Mediterranean diet involves valuing quality food, but not excessive consumption.
5) The Mediterranean Diet includes small amounts of meat and fish, but it is essentially a plant-based dietary model. In Portugal, the Mediterranean Diet is characterized by a higher consumption of fish, soups, and stews. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet involves recognizing these flavors and knowledge in schools, where Mediterranean eating and Mediterranean cooking skills should be part of the daily routine of national schools and their teaching objectives.
6) The Mediterranean Diet has always been able to nourish extended families and communities, both in villages and populous cities. It has been recognized and practiced by all segments of the population. The Mediterranean Diet is not a gourmet diet, expensive and accessible only to a few. The preservation of the Mediterranean Diet should make it possible for everyone to have access to it, regardless of their economic capacity.
7) The Mediterranean Diet, being adaptive, embraced corn, potatoes, and tomatoes in the 16th/17th centuries. It introduced cold preservation in the 20th century, which allowed for a reduction in salt. And it is embracing greater male participation in the purchase and cooking of food in the 20th and 21st centuries. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet means recognizing the work of women as guardians of the family's healthy food, the heritage and transmission of culinary knowledge and secrets from the past, but also today the participation of men in sharing domestic tasks related to food preparation and others.
8) The Mediterranean Diet has a huge impact on the health of populations, and this aspect is highly valued by society today. Furthermore, the scientifically based information linking the Mediterranean Diet to health preservation allows for the creation of coherent guidelines that facilitate intervention and the evaluation of its impact. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet requires the involvement and empowerment of the health sector on this issue.
9) Climate change, with rising average temperatures, reduced rainfall, demographic shifts, and desertification, will place access to water, food production, and human relationships under great pressure. The DM (Dietary Medicine) is recognized as an environmentally friendly way of consuming. Through more conscious food consumption, we can make a difference on the planet. Preserving the DM today represents a way of preserving the planet, where the environmental sector will play a central role.
10) The Mediterranean Diet results from the balanced interaction between man and nature, has socially and culturally shaped all Mediterranean societies, and has influenced other regions of the planet. Preserving the Mediterranean Diet is preserving the popular and food culture of Southern societies (Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East), and this process should involve a central role for the cultural sector.
Porto, October 12, 2018
Written by
Pedro Graça, Director of the Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of Porto
