Kick-off meeting

MedDiet: kick-off meeting – 16/17 April 2013

The strategic project “Mediterranean Diet and enhancement of traditional foodstuff – MedDiet” was officially launched on 16th and 17th April in Rome (Italy) by project leader, Unioncamere, in the presence of the organizations part of this initiative.
MedDiet brings together 13 partners from six Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Greece, Italy, Lebanon Spain and Tunisia) and aims specifically 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 Mediterranean Diet in Egypt, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia.

The expected results of the project are very ambitious:

1.    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

2.    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

3.    Improved capacity of policy making institutions of Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia in designing policies and instruments aimed to safeguard the Mediterranean Diet
During 30 months the project will implement many different activities designed to achieve consumers, enterprises and institutions with the final end of create and subscribe an Euro-Mediterranean agreement for the Promotion and Safeguarding of Mediterranean Diet.