Abstract

The Mediterranean diet, inscribed in the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010, is inspired by the traditional food models of Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Cyprus and Croatia, all countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, the Mediterranean area, geographically and territorially, has the characteristics to give value to past food models, which are products of the local territory (legumes, grains, vegetables, fruit, fish). The major aim is to encourage this type of food, which has always been one of the key points for biology studies in the fields of nutrition, food safety and biodiversity protection. The notion of "Mediterranean diet", or "Mediterranean way. How to eat well and stay well” (Keys & Keys, 1975) does not refer only to a nutritional model shared by many peoples of the Mediterranean basin, but embraces wider and deeper concepts that refer to a peculiar lifestyle, to a specific modality of production and consumption of food, to a certain way of conceiving the relationship between people and the environment. The Mediterranean way is a tool for achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

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