SlowMed, Italian Working Group’s research has started

Jul 14, 2014Cultural heritage promotion

SlowMed, Italian Working Group's research has startedTwo film makers and four cooks, two scene directors, a nutritionist and an expert in food communications; these are the ten members of SlowMed Italian working group. The team gathered for the first time on July 10th at Centre for the Creative Development Danilo Dolci, in Palermo. Selected through an accurate and strict procedure by the end of June, group members immediately started proposing fascinating ideas for developing a research about the evolution of Mediterranean Diet in Sicily, stressing their prominent willingness to actively participate in the project.

Stage by stage, this research will be an enriching journey through Sicily, aimed at discovering traditional recipes and food raw materials, typical to Mediterranean diet. In addition the team will also look for the cultural influences that nurtured and fostered the evolution of the culinary traditions. This process will be targeted at bringing out those actors who have been adopting a sustainable attitude towards nutrition, by preserving both food heritage and fish diversity. This journey will end this autumn, but the team will meticulously document its activities in a research diary, constantly updated on SlowMed website.

In the upcoming weeks, the group will meet again to start outlining their research, by planning its stages in detail. In the end, all the collected materials will be used to film a documentary about features and aspects of Mediterranean Diet in Sicily. Besides they will also cure the release of a children’s handbook, containing some of the most intriguing recipes. At the same time, the other local working groups will create similar products in all SlowMed partner countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Portugal and Spain), so as to encourage the emergence of similarities and differences in Mediterranean gastronomies. This encounter will take place in October, during an international meeting held at the Library of Alexandria in Egypt; therefore it will be re-enacted during a festival about Mediterranean Diet, taking place in June 2015 in Portugal with the participation of all the local working groups.

To keep yourself up-to-date about the activities, follow SlowMed on Facebook and Twitter.

For more informations, please contact alberto.biondo@danilodolci.org.

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The 2007-2013 ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme is a multilateral Cross-Border Cooperation initiative funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The Programme objective is to promote the sustainable and harmonious cooperation process at the Mediterranean Basin level by dealing with the common challenges and enhancing its endogenous potential. It finances cooperation projects as a contribution to the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of the Mediterranean region. The following 14 countries participate in the Programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria (participation currently suspended), Tunisia. The Joint Managing Authority (JMA) is the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). Official Programme languages are Arabic, English and French (www.enpicbcmed.eu).


This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union under the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of  Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or of the Programme’s management structures.


The European Union is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.


The project “Slow Food as a means of dialogue in the Mediterranean contexts – SlowMed”, coordinated by Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci, has a total budget of 1.054.598,60 Euro, co-financed for 90% by European Union (ENPI CBC MED Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme), through the programm European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.