Food in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Heritagization processes [13/03/2019] WP6 focused on heritagization processes (UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and Geographical Indications). The results of our work suggested that policy makers should promote – when possible – joint applications to UNESCO intangible heritage. These should preferably come from communities belonging to more than one nation state, thus reducing national rivalries and preventing food wars. This has happened in the case of the Mediterranean diet. The UNESCO ICH nomination file for recognition of the Mediterranean diet as ICH specifies that “the communities that recognize it as part of their common intangible cultural heritage [are] Agros (Cyprus), Brač and Hvar (Croatia), Soria (Spain), Koroni/Coroni (Greece), Cilento (Italy), Chefchaouen (Morocco), Tavira (Portugal)”, demonstrating the potential for joint applications.