The mediterranean diet: from prehistory to present days

- The evolution of the Mediterranean Diet agricultural activities, land exploitation, eating habits between the Greek and Roman world.

- The journey of the vine and the olive tree from the Middle East to the north shore of the Mediterranean

- Ancient native varieties and their influence on European culture

- The forgotten ancient fruits

- Archaeobotanical research and new technologies

Starting from an evolutionary historical approach of the Mediterranean Diet and the itinerary of varieties from the East to the northern shore of the Mediterranean, we will analyze the influence of ancient native varieties of vines, olive trees and fruits on European culture, the Italian one in particular.

Italy represents a deposit of ancient indigenous varieties whose study has allowed in some cases to preserve a tangible and intangible heritage that can now also contribute to the spread of sustainable forms of agriculture that respect biodiversity and are instrumental to the scourge of climate change.

The theme of the so-called Forgotten Fruits, for example, is experiencing a growing interest from the world of scientific research, but the same is true for the study and collection of ancient native vines that characterize the ampelographic heritage of all Italian regions.

In general, the ancient crop varieties, with their genetic heritage handed down over millennia of history, allow the development and maintenance of strains naturally resistant to extreme weather-climatic conditions and diseases, guarantee fast growth and high yields, without resorting to use of pesticides and pesticides. These characteristics mean that these varieties of plants, generally rooted in territories of regional or local importance, are often a condensation of nutraceutical and gastronomic properties of high value. They are therefore of great interest in European and national agricultural and environmental strategies and in particular in the context of sustainable agriculture, also as a genetic defense against the variations that climate change is bringing to production cycles.