Mediterranean diet has boasted UNESCO recognition since 2013
The opening of a Mediterranean Diet museum in the Algarve municipality of Tavira is one of the highlights of the “Mediterranean Diet Safeguard Plan 2023-2027”, which was presented at the BTL tourism fair in Lisbon this week.
The plan includes the establishment of a “living museum” linked to the Tavira Agricultural Experimentation Centre. Described as an “innovative museum”, it will take visitors on a journey into the history and present of the Mediterranean diet, with the goal of promoting its products and practices in order to “reach as broad a population as possible.”
Expected to attract up to 10,000 visitors annually, the museum will also highlight the best routes and locations for experiencing the Mediterranean diet. The expected opening date has not been revealed so far.
One of the strategic objectives of the plan is to position the Algarve as a hub for research and knowledge production concerning the Mediterranean diet, which boasts UNESCO recognition for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2013.
Other goals of the plan are to map areas which are considered “important to the history of the Mediterranean and the region” and which are considered crucial for preserving regional history and fostering sustainable development.
“The safeguarding and management of these resources is extremely important in terms of preserving our identity and sustainable development, demanding the involvement of regional planning and territorial management players, but also local communities. The existing knowledge is scattered (around the region) and needs to be reorganised and divulged,” states the plan, presented to the public by the Algarve’s regional development commission (CCDR Algarve) and university (UAlg).
The plan also addresses biodiversity loss in Mediterranean habitats and foresees the establishment of a training and entrepreneurship support centre, which will offer specialised technical training in several areas linked to the Mediterranean Diet to regional stakeholders, including farmers, fishermen, food industry professionals, and community members.
The CCDR Algarve and UAlg also aim to revive and preserve forgotten traditional varieties of Mediterranean species in the region. Additionally, they plan to introduce a “Mediterranean Diet Seal” to “differentiate and value products and services associated” with the diet.
Funding for the plan’s initiatives will primarily come from the Algarve 2030 community programme, aimed at promoting economic competitiveness, diversification, and sustainability.
Coordinated by UAlg with input from various regional entities, the plan underwent public consultation until December last year.
The Mediterranean Diet was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 4, 2013.
Tavira was one of the municipalities which supported the bid for UNESCO recognition alongside Agros (Cyprus), Brač and Hvar (Croatia), Soria (Spain), Koroni/Coroni (Greece), Cilento (Italy) and Chefchaouen (Morocco).
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean Diet is more of a “healthy lifestyle” than a strict eating plan.
It includes the daily consumption of bread, pasta or rice, vegetables and fruit, the use of olive oil as the main source of fat, a moderate consumption of fish, white meat, dairy products and eggs, and the restricted consumption of red meat and sugar.
Physical activity, water and a moderate consumption of wine are also important parts of the diet.
