The mayor of Tavira considered, this Tuesday, September 5th, that one of the great future challenges of the Mediterranean diet is to also use it to reduce the ecological footprint, especially in a scenario of water scarcity.
«One of the great challenges of the future is to show how the [Mediterranean] diet can also be important to combat human action on nature» with the use of local and seasonal products and rain-fed crops that reduce the ecological footprint, said Ana Paula Martins.
The mayor was speaking to Lusa regarding the holding of the Mediterranean Diet Fair, which takes place from Thursday to Sunday, in Tavira, marking 10 years of the recognition of this intangible heritage of humanity.
Ana Paula Martins valued the work done to promote this diet in the last decade, especially as a healthy lifestyle, but highlighted that this heritage goes far beyond the gastronomic aspect.
In a scenario of lack of water, investing in cultures linked to the Mediterranean diet may be “the way forward”, but there is “another challenge in trying to make this ancient heritage adapt to new eating habits”, using “ancestral wisdom and techniques”. .
The president of the Algarve Chamber gave the example of carob milk and made a "very positive" assessment of the work done over the last 10 years in promoting it to younger people, reinforcing the transmission of heritage to new generations, and in the association that was also made with physical activity.
«I make a very positive assessment, I make a positive assessment of the work of the Chamber of Tavira, but I also praise the work of the region, because I think that the Mediterranean Diet was the first project that led us all – these 10 partners – to work in effective partnership with a common objective», assessed the mayor.
Tavira was one of the communities from seven countries in the Mediterranean basin that saw the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognize, in 2013, the Mediterranean Diet as intangible heritage.
The mayor classified the partnership work carried out throughout this period as “very positive” for the municipality, but also for the Algarve region.
According to the mayor, the fair will feature, as in previous editions, «shows by producers and artisans», with «the music and dance part», with «culinary demonstrations» and «children's programming», although « Every year, some components are introduced so that it has more quality».
Ana Paula Martins said that the Convivialidade square will have restaurants and that 18 local restaurants will have Mediterranean menus on their menus, in one of the innovations of the fair that celebrates the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the Mediterranean Diet as a UNESCO heritage site.
The president of the Algarve Chamber revealed that the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) will hold a seminar aimed at “innovation in the use of some products” and that it will “highlight the safeguard plan” that it concluded in 2021 .
«Right now, we are working on the safeguard plan for the coming years – 2023-2027 – which will also be presented at this seminar», he announced, considering that the previous plan had a «good execution» and the idea now involves «continuing this work” in partnership in the new plan.
Ana Paula Martins recalled that Tavira is the representative community of the Mediterranean Diet in Portugal, but the project has partners such as the CCDR of the Algarve, the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries, the University of Algarve, Hotel and Tourism Schools or associations such as and In Loco, who have contributed over the last 10 years to the promotion and dissemination of a heritage that goes beyond gastronomy.
«All of them [partners] are doing some work in parallel and individually, as is the case of hotel schools, the Tourism Region, in their promotions, as is the case of the university and the network that is being created with several universities of the country so that these issues of the Mediterranean Diet are studied and scientific documents are produced», he praised.
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