The Mediterranean Diet at the EU Parliament: an investment in health, development, and the environment

Brussels – To place at the heart of the European debate a food model that aims to represent not only a healthy lifestyle but also a powerful economic, cultural, and environmental tool: this morning (May 15), the European Parliament hosted a debate dedicated to the Mediterranean diet, promoted by MEP Giuseppe Picaro (FdI/ECR), who addressed all aspects of this issue.

Health Undersecretary Marcello Gemmato strongly reiterated the central role of the Mediterranean diet in preventive health care. “In Italy, only 5 percent of the National Health Fund is dedicated to prevention. The Mediterranean diet, or we should call it the Italian diet, can be the key to preventing the onset of chronic diseases and making our health care system sustainable,” he said. Gemmato cited impressive data, “This diet reduces cancer mortality by 9 percent and the onset of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s by 13 percent.”

Agriculture Undersecretary Patrizio La Pietra insisted on the link between the Mediterranean diet and the Italian food supply chain: “There is no Mediterranean diet without quality Italian products: oil, fish, farmed meat, wine.” “All this excludes synthetic or ultra-processed products, which are not part of our culture,” La Pietra continued, evoking Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida’s battle against cultured meat. The Undersecretary also recalled how Italian agribusiness accounts for nearly 25 percent of GDP, with exports approaching 70 billion euros in 2024. According to La Pietra, a key point in revitalizing the agri-food supply chain is the need to “remove ideology from agriculture,” debunking the prejudice against imports. “We are great processors and great exporters, but we also have to import raw materials such as wheat while respecting mutual environmental, social, and health rules: it is impossible to grow without importing,” he explained. Finally, he supported Minister Lollobrigida’s initiative to recognize Italian cuisine as a UNESCO heritage.

The event organizer, Picaro, emphasized how the Mediterranean diet should be integrated into European health and environmental strategies. “It is not just a dietary style, but a prevention policy. It reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It also means sustainability, a short supply chain, biodiversity, and land protection. It can create jobs and strengthen European agri-food exports.” He also noted that the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee addressed this issue in collaboration with representatives of the World Health Organization.

Technical speakers enriched the picture with significant data. Professor Marco Silano of the Higher Institute of Health reported that only 5 percent of Italians have a “good adherence” to the Mediterranean diet, calling for increased efforts to promote a healthy diet, especially among young people. Confagricoltura president Massimiliano Giansanti spoke of “agriculture as a solution, not a problem.” In the face of climate change and population growth, he reiterated the importance of producing more but sustainably: “The Mediterranean diet is an example of natural excellence. We need agriculture based on the natural cycle — sustainable and able to create certainty for producers and contribute to public health.”

As La Pietra mentioned, “Through cooking and the table, we tell who we are.” Food can become a common language in an often divided Europe, bridging health, identity, and sustainable development.