There are five reasons to consider Italian food and the Mediterranean diet as economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, says Professor Carlo Alberto Pratesi. The Professor of Marketing, Innovation and Sustainability at Roma Tre University, who is currently in Sydney for the third Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, has identified the diet as a best performer in sustainability, for these reasons.

Wellness: The first “food pyramid” based on the scientific studies of Ancel Keys (1958) explained to the world that the Mediterranean diet, based on a balanced consumption of specific foods (e.g. olive oil, fruit, grains, legumes, etc.), could reduce death rates from heart disease if compared with saturated fat rich diets typical of Northern Europe.