Candidacy of the Mediterranean Diet as a world heritage

The National Heritage Council formally approves nominating the "Mediterranean Diet" as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

Agreements have been taken at a meeting of the National Heritage, chaired by the Ministry of Culture and which includes representatives of the 17 autonomous communities.

National Heritage Council, chaired by the Ministry of Culture and which includes representatives of the 17 autonomous communities, has formally approved at the meeting today in Cartagena, the nomination of "Mediterranean Diet" as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

The candidacy of the Mediterranean Diet will be presented as multi-application, i.e. shared by different countries of the Mediterranean. To defend the importance of this application, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has been attending the reunion and has highlighted the need to recognize the vital importance of the lifestyle of the Mediterranean and the desirability of preserving and diffusing.

The Spanish government has been maintaining contacts with the other Mediterranean countries to be invited to nominate jointly, in collaboration with the Mediterranean Diet Foundation.

This meeting presented the "Document of Cartagena” that will be the first strategic document of work to advance the nomination which will become effective in 2008 and lead the Government of Spain.

Defending the Mediterranean Diet and its products is a priority and strategic in terms of economic, social, cultural, territorial and environmental.

The Mediterranean Diet is an immense cultural heritage accumulated over millennia that stimulates the local production and consumption, promotes an agriculture that respects the environment and promotes trade and regional initiatives, contributing to cultural dialogue, to transfer knowledge and technology and economic and joins all communities along the Mediterranean.

The Council of Agriculture Ministers of the European Union, held in Brussels in July 2007, the Agriculture Minister, Elena Espinosa invited all member countries of the European Union to join, with the full support of the European Commission to achieve this recognition by making available all necessary facilities.

Once approved the nomination, the necessary procedures will begin before the Secretariat General of UNESCO in Paris. The choice of the applications included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will be in autumn-winter 2009. 

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