Sustainable diets and biodiversity

239

Figure 3. Overweight and obesity in Mediterranean countries.
Source: WHO, 2009.

fore necessary to act urgently to implement a strat-
egy that promotes the use of the concept of "sus-
tainable diets" in different contexts worldwide, in
industrialized as well as developing countries.
The Mediterranean diet was proven as good for
health; it has nutritional virtues, diversity, season-
ality, freshness, culture, skills. The south Mediter-
ranean countries should avoid reproducing a
Western pattern of which we perceive the limits
today and should incorporate sustainable develop-

ment goals into their policies Our objective is not

to cultivate the past, but to become aware of

abuses of food systems in the Mediterranean. Tra-

ditional knowledge and experience are wiped out in

the name of modernity. Don’t we have to learn from

our past to ensure a sustainable modernity? It is

still possible to build our future on the triad of tra-

ditional food, food industry and sustainable devel-

opment including nutrition, environment and

biodiversity.

Figure 4. Balance of the total ecological footprint in the Mediterranean region.
Source: Global footprint network, 200 7.

Middle-East North Africa Balkans North of the

Mediterranean

Ecological Footprint of Consumption Total Biocapacity Ecological (Deficit) or Reserve

Global hectares per capita

6

4

2

0

-2

-4

Overweight and Obesity NORD Mediterranea

F-FR M-FR F-GR M-GR F-IT M-IT F-POR M-POR F-MAL M-MAL F-ESP M-ESP F-TUN M-TUN F-ALG M-ALG F-EGY M-EGY F-LIB M-LIB F-TUR M-TUR F-MAR M-MAR F-SYR M-SYR

Overweight and Obesity SUD Mediterranea

BMI/Overweight/Obesity BMI> 25 kg/m^2 BMI/Overweight/Obesity BMI> 30 kg/m^2

8 0.00
70. 00
6 0.00
5 0.00
4 0.00
3 0.00
2 0.00
10.00
0.00

80.0 0

70. 00

60.0 0

50.00

40.0 0

30.00

2 0.0 0

10.0 0

0 .00