24% of the Italian youths aged between 15 and 29 years old are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), compared to 19% in 2008. – OCSE, 2021
About 100 of the 169 targets related to the SDGs will not be achieved without the effective involvement and coordination of local governments. – Urban@it Report, 2021
The Mediterranean Foodscape Initiative focuses on protecting a cultural epicenter, threatened biodiversity reserve, and treasured lifestyle as a diet and learning tool to unleash the sustainable power of the Mediterraneo as a bridge between history and the future for planet and people.
2020 marked the 10th anniversary of the Mediterranean Diet as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This stresses the cultural role of food, the identity behind the nexus between food and territory, landscape, environment, and health. Promoting the Mediterranean Diet goes far beyond supporting a planet-friendly diet. It means embracing a balanced and holistic “way of life,” where harmony with the natural environment intersects with community support and deep self-connection, what today we call One Health.
This research initiative starts from the Mediterranean Foodscape but intersects with grassroots initiatives to support and empower local communities through food and education.
In partnership with the Municipality of Pollica, the Study Center of the Mediterranean Diet “Angelo Vassallo,” and UNESCO, the Paideia Campus is a place where you can learn, experience, and taste the recipe for good living in line with the objectives of sustainable development, with the paradigm: PLANET-PEOPLE-PROSPERITY and with the concept of Integral Ecology.
Situated in the heart of the Italian emblematic community of the UNESCO Mediterranean Diet, the campus also houses the Mediterranean School, Mediterranean Regeneration Lab, and the Princes Capano Castle.
The 2nd iteration of the Mediterranean edition of our award-winning boot camp, developed and delivered in partnership with FAO, Municipality of Pollica, UNESCO, Google Food Team, TASTE, Barilla, the World Fund for Crop Diversity Crop Trust, 24Bottles, focused on the three fundamental themes of Ecosystem Regeneration, Nutrition for All, and the Mediterranean Diet.
This intensive and interactive experience explored these themes while visiting representative sites, hearing from local food heroes, and trying their hands at local practices and customs. Learning events and excursions include visits to two local caves to explore the rich history of this region and the origins of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the UNESCO recognition, the Future Food Institute and the Municipality of Pollica (Cilento, Italy) launched a series of digital events and learning programs entirely dedicated to the Mediterranean Diet and lifestyle as models to achieve social, cultural, and environmental prosperity towards the UN Sustainable Development Framework. The joint events also included collaboration with the Mediterranean Diet Study Center dedicated to Angelo Vassallo, the Mayor of Pollica who underlined the importance of education for new generations to active citizenship for the healthy development of the territories of the Mediterranean Diet and as a strategic key to build an environment-friendly future nurtured by knowledge and strong cultural identities.
In occasion of the week "Italian Cuisine in the World," the Future Food Institute organized a series of digital events involving the participation of Italian Embassies and Consulates from East to West of the world in order to encourage diplomatic cooperation and export the knowledge about the Mediterranean Diet. The event was made possible through strategic partnerships with Consul General of Italy in San Francisco, Italian Embassy at the Holy See, Italian Embassy in India, Italian Embassy in Chile, Italian Embassy in Japan, Italian Embassy in Spain, Italian Embassy in Germany, Italian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, Italian Trade Agency - Taipei Office, Italian Embassy in Singapore.
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