FOOD FOR HEALTH, FOOD FOR EARTH - The Mediterranean Diet at the Crossroads of Public Health, Climate Action, and Cultural Diplomacy

Hosted by NYU’s Department of Nutrition and Food Studies and co-hosted by the Future Food Institute, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Mediterranean Diet Study Center of Pollica, this high-level gathering will explore the Mediterranean Diet as a powerful framework connecting public health, climate action, cultural heritage, and sustainable food systems. Far more than a dietary model, the Mediterranean Diet is a living system of knowledge, practices, relationships, and values that can improve human health while strengthening ecological resilience, social cohesion, and community well-being. At a time when billions of people are still unable to access an affordable healthy diet, the event will address the structural gaps that continue to separate scientific knowledge from public policy, food production from health outcomes, and global commitments from people’s everyday lives. Leading voices from academia, international institutions, science, policy, and civil society will examine how this internationally recognized heritage can help respond to some of today’s most urgent challenges—from diet-related diseases and unequal access to nutritious food to climate change, biodiversity loss, and the transformation of global agrifood systems. FAO will contribute insights from The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World and its Global Roadmap for agrifood systems transformation, positioning the Mediterranean Diet within the broader international agenda for food security, nutrition, climate action, and sustainable development. The discussion will also revisit the legacy of Ancel Keys, whose pioneering research in Pollica and across the Mediterranean brought global attention to the relationship between food, lifestyle, longevity, and health. Looking toward the future, the gathering will explore how the Mediterranean Diet can serve not only as a model for human and planetary health, but also as an instrument of cultural diplomacy, international cooperation, food justice, and regenerative territorial development. The panel will be followed by an interactive Mediterranean food experience translating the principles discussed into tastes, ingredients, stories, and practices. Eat Well. Stay Well. Save the Planet.