Journal Article

Updating the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid towards Sustainability: Focus on Environmental Concerns

Instituto de Salud Carlos III [Madrid] (ISCIII), Piscopo, Suzanne, University of Malta [Malta], International Foundation of Mediterranean Diet (IFMeD), Universidad Pública de Navarra [Espagne] = Public University of Navarra (UPNA), Bach-Faig, Anna, Nutrition and Food Science Area ; Universitat de València = University of Valencia (UV), International Hellenic University (IHU), Capone, Roberto, Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier, Tomaino, Laura, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Lairon, Denis, Trichopoulou, Antonia, Belahsen, Rekia, Centre recherche en CardioVasculaire et Nutrition = Center for CardioVascular and Nutrition research (C2VN) ; Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), La Vecchia, Carlo, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya [Barcelona] (UOC), Medina, Francesc-Xavier, Université Chouaib Doukkali (UCD), Forum on Mediterranean Food Cultures ; Partenaires INRAE, Università

2020

Overview

Background: Nowadays the food production, supply and consumption chain represent a major cause of ecological pressure on the natural environment, and diet links worldwide human health with environmental sustainability. Food policy, dietary guidelines and food security strategies need to evolve from the limited historical approach, mainly focused on nutrients and health, to a new one considering the environmental, socio-economic and cultural impact-and thus the sustainability-of diets. Objective: To present an updated version of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (MDP) to reflect multiple environmental concerns. Methods: We performed a revision and restructuring of the MDP to incorporate more recent findings on the sustainability and environmental impact of the Mediterranean Diet pattern, as well as its associations with nutrition and health. For each level of the MDP we provided a third dimension featuring the corresponding environmental aspects related to it. Conclusions: The new environmental dimension of the MDP enhances food intake recommendations addressing both health and environmental issues. Compared to the previous 2011 version, it emphasizes more strongly a lower consumption of red meat and bovine dairy products, and a higher consumption of legumes and locally grown eco-friendly plant foods as much as possible.

• Publisher: MDPI,CCSD,MDPI AG
• Subject: Animals / Cattle / Collaboration / Cultural heritage / Diet, Mediterranean - statistics & numerical data / Environment / Environmental Sciences / Feeding Behavior / Food Supply - economics / Food Supply - statistics & numerical data / Humans / Nutrition / Nutrition Policy - economics / Nutrition Policy - trends / Program Evaluation / Sustainability
• ISBN: 0005978898000