At a conference held in Barcelona this month, the Mediterranean Diet Foundation launched its initiative to achieve compliance with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.
Adopted in 2015, the agenda defined 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) with the aim of achieving stronger and more sustainable economic growth worldwide.
See Also:Biodiversity Project Expands Beyond SpainThe president of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, Francisco Martinez Arroyo, said that the SDGs are aligned with the principles of the Mediterranean diet. He also called for a united front to fight against climate change.
The conference, entitled “How can the Mediterranean Diet help to achieve the SDGs,” was held at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona in collaboration with the Catalonian regional government, and was attended by numerous government representatives as well as participants from major private-sector organizations.
The latter group included Mauricio García Quevedo, director-general of the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries, and Jordi Valls, director-general of Mercabarna, Europe’s largest wholesale fresh food market.
The forum was characterized by agreement on the need for greatly increased public-private collaboration.
José Luis Bonet, president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, drew attention to the strategic benefits of sustainability for the private sector, saying that it generates new business opportunities, promotes greater operational efficiency in the organization and enables companies to strengthen relations with their stakeholders.
Martinez called for a greater role to be given to the individual farmers and fishermen who form the foundation of the Mediterranean diet, saying that they “must have profitability in their endeavors and should be part of the decision-making process of consumers.”
He also stressed the need for improved labeling, including the effective use of Protected Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications.
“It is important for consumers to understand the history of each foodstuff because the Mediterranean diet is not just food, but a way of understanding the environment, of relating to each other, of enjoying local and seasonal consumption and continuing to transmit our history and cultural heritage,” he said.
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