The project in brief

All Mediterranean countries have in common a dietary pattern characterised by a high consumption of plant foods such as legumes, cereals, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, low consumption of meat and dairy products, olive oil as main source of fat and moderate consumption of wine.

The Mediterranean diet is considered a healthy prudent pattern: high adherence to it has been associated with a better health due to the protective effect that this diet shows against various diseases.

Nevertheless, deep changes have been witnessed in the Mediterranean dietary pattern over the last decades, mainly due to the increase in energy available from non-Mediterranean foodstuff which almost tripled. Against this negative trend, MedDiet project aims to raise the awareness of consumers about the importance of preserving healthy food traditions.

The "Mediterranean diet and enhancement of traditional foodstuff - MedDiet" is a strategic project funded by European Union in the framework of the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme (www.enpicbcmed.eu)

Specific objective

To increase the awareness of consumers (in particular young people and children - exposed to the risk of losing Mediterranean healthy eating habits) and of SMEs (in particular restaurants) about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet (MD) by reinforcing the capacity of schools, local authorities, chambers of commerce/business organizations and policy making institutions to implement effective and sustainable initiatives for safeguarding MD in Egypt, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia.

Expected results

• Increased capacity of schools and local authorities of the territories participating in the project to implement initiatives aiming at increasing the awareness about the advantages of the Mediterranean Diet among children, young people and other groups of consumers
• Improved capacity of chambers of commerce and business organisations of the territories involved in the project to support SMEs (mainly restaurants) in proposing foodstuff coherent with an authentic Mediterranean Diet
• Improved capacity of policy making institutions of Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia in designing policies and instruments aimed to safeguard the Mediterranean Diet

Expected activities

• 165 nutrition education initiatives for schools and consumers including taste laboratories, visits to farms/factories, cooking courses, schools vegetables gardens
• Distribution of 31.100 MedDiet tool kits
• Creation of a MedDiet Quality Label for restaurants and pilot actions for its implementation (training courses technical assistance programs for restaurants owners
• Establishment of 20 “Mediterranean Diet info points”
• Drafting of a “shared Mediterranean system for the safeguard of traditional product of the MedDiet” to be signed by representatives of Ministries/agencies in Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon

Target groups

• 4.800 pupils/young people, 1.200 teachers and 120 school directors
• 150 officers from 45 national/local authorities
• 20 trainers from chambers of commerce

Final beneficiaries

• 300 restaurant owners/managers
• 22.500 consumers

Beneficiary

• UnionCamere (Italy, Lazio)

Partneship

• Chamber of Commerce of Cagliari,
• Special Agency Center of Services for Enterprises (Italy, Sardegna)
• Olive Oil Towns Association (Italy, Toscana)
• Mediterranean Diet Foundation (Spain, Cataluña)
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tunis (Tunisia, Tunis)
• The Routes of the Olive Tree (Greece, Peloponnisos)
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Messinia (Greece, Peloponnisos)
• Forum of the Adriatic and Ionian Chambers (Italy, Marche)
• Spanish Association of Olive cities (Spain, Andalucía)
• Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Spain, Cataluña)
• Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (Egypt, Al Iskandanyah)
• National Agriculture Research Institute of Tunisia (Tunisia, Ariana)
• Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (Lebanon)