WANT TO KNOW MORE?
THE NOMINATION
Greece, Italy, Morocco and Spain jointly presented the transnational Nomination for the inscription of the Mediterranean Diet on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO. The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage will take the decision about the inscription in September 2009.
+ Nomination as intangible cultural heritage of humanity
The initiative to present this nomination arose from civil society, increasingly aware and concerned about this intangible cultural heritage. Several research institutes, associations, foundations, supported by local, regional and national institutions of the four States parties submitting the nomination, have worked since the beginning to the presentation of this project.
Due to socio-cultural changes and to the effects of globalization, the Mediterranean Diet, our intangible cultural heritage, is subject to significant risks of erosion.
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET
The ancient Greek word diaita, of which the word diet derives from, means lifestyle,and this is exactly what the Mediterranean Diet is: an extraordinary cultural corpus that embraces all populations of the Mediterranean basin, made up of sceneries, of cultivations and cultivating, techniques, of markets, of elaborations, of spaces and culinary gestures, of flavours and perfumes, of colours
+ The Mediterranean Diet, much more than a nutritional guideline
The evolution of humanity is closely linked to food and in particular the resolution of problems such as obtaining food, its preparation and maintenance, transport, as well as exchange and consumption. Relationships and symbolisms have been woven in parallel that are as important as the livelihood that has been generated.
+ The Mediterranean Diet, a contemporany scientific contribution:
The Mediterranean Diet, and its composition as indicated by Serra-Majem – President of Mediterranean Diet Foundation – , “is characterized by an abundance of plant foods, such as bread, pasta, rice, vegetables, legumes, fruit and nuts; the use of olive oil as the principal source of added fat, a moderate consumption of fish, seafood, poultry, dairy products (yogurt, cheese), eggs, the consumption of small quantities of red meat and wine consumed daily generally during meals.”
THE MEDITERRANEAN
In mid intersection of three continents, with large historical charges and extraordinary cultural waves, the basin of modest dimensions, this crossroads of cultures, has accumulated throughout millennia, cultural foundations combined in a thousand ways. The Mediterranean has been constructed from meetings and disagreements, from attraction and repulsion or from curiosity and indifference, as well as peace and violence.
+ The Mediterranean, more than just a sea
The word Mediterranean normally refers to the sea of the same name, as well as the surrounding territories. The Mediterranean is as much the land as the sea. It is “that profound being”, in words of Braudel “the sum of never-ending random acts, accidents and repeated achievements”…frequently under a “tragic light” of which Camus talks about. The Mediterranean has surpassed geographical boundaries and has elevated the word to the category of an idea, a concept, a historic personality, a place loaded with representations.
+ The Mediterranean, crossroads of cultures, cradle of a civilization
In mid intersection of three continents, with large historical charges and extraordinary cultural waves, this basin of modest dimensions, this crossroads of cultures, has accumulated throughout millennia, cultural foundations combined in a thousand ways. The Mediterranean has been constructed from meetings and disagreements, from attraction and repulsion or from curiosity and indifference, as well as peace and violence.
+ The Mediterranean, from the land to the table:
The landscape is the cultural perception of the area and signifies both the environmental reality of each place as well as the sediment and mark of the entropic processes that have occurred. The sea, elusive and ephemeral landscape, “without” marks, apparent factual and mythical protagonist of the great Mediterranean history, often refer to the land to find the descriptive signs of this area.
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO adopted in 2003 defines the intangible cultural heritage as the practices, representations, expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills, that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.
+ Definitions:
Culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive, spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group, which encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs. (UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 2001).
SUPPORT THE NOMINATION
Express your support to the Nomination for the inscription of the Mediterranean Diet on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the UNESCO by completing this form. You will receive a personalized support certification. Everyone can contribute to safeguarding our common heritage!
