The document discusses the Mediterranean diet and traditional Italian cuisine. It covers the main foods and health effects of the Mediterranean diet like high consumption of cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and moderate consumption of dairy products, wine and fish. It also discusses regional cuisines in Italy and consumption trends threatening traditional food like highly processed fast food and loss of cultural diversity. It provides examples of sustainable initiatives in Italy like food purchase groups, organic markets, community gardens and producer networks.

1. course PRODUCT-SERVICE SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY subject 5. Design exercise – sustainable system concept for eating in Politecnico di Bovisa campus learning resource 5.3 Food in Italy contributors: Fabrizio Ceschin, Carlo Vezzoli Politecnico di Milano / Faculty of Design / INDACO Dep. / Italy LeNS, the Learning Network on Sustainability: Asian-European multi-polar network for curricula development on Design for Sustainability focused on product service system innovation. Funded by the Asia-Link Programme, EuroAid, European Commission.

3. the Mediterranean diet

4. represents the traditional Italian nutritional model THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

5. CEREALS (high consumption) THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET / MAIN FOODS

6. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES (high consumption) THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET / MAIN FOODS

7. LEGUMES (high consumption) THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET / MAIN FOODS

8. OLIVE OIL (high consumption) THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET / MAIN FOODS

9. DAIRY PRODUCTS (moderate consumption) WINE (moderate consumption) THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET / MAIN FOODS

10. FISH (moderate to high consumption) THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET / MAIN FOODS MEAT (low consumption)

11. HEALTH EFFECTS The Mediterranean diet is often cited as beneficial for being low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber. One of the main explanations is thought to be the health effects of olive oil included in the Mediterranean diet. In addition, the consumption of red wine is considered a possible factor, as it contains flavonoids with powerful antioxidant properties.

12. regional cuisines

13. REGIONAL CUISINES In Italian cuisine, ingredients and dishes vary by region. Each area has its own specialties, primarily at regional level, but also even at provincial level. These regional variances can come from the influence of a bordering country (such as France or Austria), geographical and climate conditions (vicinity to the sea or mountains) as well as economic progress. Italian cuisine is also distinguished by being very seasonal with high priority placed on the use of fresh, seasonal products.

14. MILAN LOMBARDY CUISINE / traditional specialties Risotto alla milanese Cotoletta alla milanese Casseruola Panettone Grana Padano Polenta

15. consumption trends and traditional cuisine

16. CONSUMPTION TRENDS AND TRADITIONAL CUISINE Also in Italy, even if with a minor pace respect Europe, the new consumption trends threaten the traditional food cuisine. In this sense main trends are: - Consumption of highly processed food (fast and convenience food), accompanied by a decreasing knowledge about nutrition and food - Reduction of the average preparation time for food products - Loss of cultural diversity and food traditions - Over-consumption of calories per capita

17. ORGANIC FOOD IN ITALY Share of organic area in the total utilised agricultural areas (%), 2003 (Eurostat, 2005) ITALY, 8% … but it has also to be underlined that in Italy there is a relatively high share of organic agriculture, with an annual growth rate of 20%

18. as a contra-trend to the fast food tendency, different movements and initiatives grown up in the last years…

19. Defence of Biodiversity Defence of Biodiversity Linking Producers and Consumers (Co-producers) Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people ’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.Today, SF have over 80,000 members all over the world.

20. some examples of sustainable promising cases…

21. Food purchase group_Milan: Filo di Paglia organised groups of people buy food directly from farmers

22. Italy, Milan Biomercatino - The Little Organic Market People living in he city access high-quality organic food directly from producers…

23. People over 60 raise vegetables and fruit in town, spend time together, and enjoy the open air Italy, Milan Orti del Parco Nord - Parco Nord Vegetable Gardens

24. producers network to share equipments and knowledge, and to valorise local products Italy, Sondrio, Associazione Produttori Apistici Sondrio – Sondrio association honeybee producers

25. Italy, L’Aquila, “Adotta una pecora” – “adopt a sheep” adopt a sheep and you will receive at home derived food products (cheese, wool)

26. Italy, Milan, Impollinazione urbana – Urban pollination association promoting vegetable gardens within urban contexts