The Mediterranean Diet is much more than gastronomy, it is a whole cultural identity, the territory, those who live there and their ancestral knowledge, local products and even health. And all this fits into the 1st edition of the Mediterranean Diet Fair, which takes place from September 6th to 8th, in Tavira.
The event, held within the scope of the Mediterranean Diet's Transnational application for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which, in Portugal, is led by Tavira, was presented last week, in a session that brought together the many entities involved in the fair. An institutional variety that precisely demonstrates the scope of this candidacy.
Whoever goes next weekend to Rua do Cais, in Tavira, next to the River Gilão, will be able to enjoy many activities. Gastronomy, handicrafts and agricultural products will be highlighted, but there will also be lots of music and entertainment.
The historic area of the city of Tavira will be the main point, but not the only place to receive the Mediterranean Diet Fair. The Posto Agrário de Tavira, of the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Algarve (Drapalg), will be open to the population and will also host various activities, promoted by this entity.
The opening to the public of the Posto Agrário is an example of what will be done, in the future, to celebrate Portugal's Mediterranean heritage. One of UNESCO's conditions, if Tavira and its partners are recognized as bastions of the Mediterranean Diet, is that this cultural heritage is maintained and cherished. And one of the ways is through museology.
«The Museum of the Mediterranean Diet becomes almost a must. We are going to transform a museum that exists in Posto Agrário, which was to be the Museum of Earth, into something more interactive and participative. The school community must be involved, with a view to combating obesity and promoting food quality in schools», referred the mayor of Tavira Jorge Botelho, on the sidelines of the Fair's presentation.
The first phase of this museum is already growing, the right word to apply, since it will be a living museum "of all regional fruit trees", according to the regional director of Agriculture Fernando Severino. A nucleus that is expected to be ready "in 2015".
Drapalg also has the dream of installing a «Center for the Study of the Mediterranean Diet, when there is money to do so, in the same Agricultural Post. While much of what is already being done does not depend on the approval of the application for Intangible Heritage of Humanity, it will help in many ways.
"Something that is fundamental is that the issue of placing Tavira as the capital of the Mediterranean Diet will give us access to a set of funds, provided for in community funds, so that we can have a safeguard plan and continue to promote this territory", he stressed. the mayor of Tavira.
For now, revealed the president of the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRA) David Santos, there is already an approved application for community funds, in the amount of 330 thousand euros, which serves not only to finance the Mediterranean Diet Fair, but also other measures to promote this way of life, such as the living museum of the Posto Agrário de Tavira.
«Here we have all the institutional partners in the Algarve: the CCDR, the Tourism Region, the hotel schools, the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and the In Loco association and others, such as the Portuguese Association of Cardiology and nutritionists», stressed Jorge Botelho .
Something that is very important, since the involvement of official entities and civil society are one of the points in favor of an eventual approval of the candidacy. Confidence in the UNESCO green light is, moreover, transversal to the different partners.
The gastronomic part of the event will be, in large part, in charge of the Hotel and Tourism School of Vila Real de Santo António, which has been focusing on training its students very oriented towards the Mediterranean Diet. In Loco, on the other hand, will promote sustainable products from the land, with special emphasis on “short production circuits”.
«We will have 50 producers present, most from the Algarve, but also from other parts of the country, as this is a national application», revealed the representative of the regional development association Nelson Dias.
Mediterranean Diet Fair is to continue
This Fair should no longer influence the international bid, which brings together seven countries and in which Portugal is included, from the Mediterranean Diet to World Heritage.
UNESCO will vote on the joint proposal of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Morocco, Cyprus and Greece in December, at the organization's next General Assembly, but evaluations and reports will already be closed.
Feira de Tavira will even have "some of the experts" responsible for evaluating the application, announced Jorge Botelho, but "they come as visitors and not as evaluators. Also because, recalled the mayor, Tavira and his partners have already been working on this for "two and a half years".
“There aren't two opportunities to get the job done right. And what has been done here in the last two and a half years is something that will put Tavira at the forefront of heritage and unique tourist destinations», considered Jorge Botelho.
But even if the candidacy, in which Tavira is the representative community of Portugal, is rejected, the machine will not stop. "Our idea is to hold the second Mediterranean Diet Fair and then another and, of course, grow, always trying to improve and correct any mistakes," he said.
Comments