Italy Wants UNESCO Recognition For Mediterranean Diet
FIRST Nicolas Sarkozy wants French food to be listed by Unesco as part of the world’s heritage, and now the Italians want their Mediterranean diet to be likewise acknowledged:
As The Croydonian says: I am NOT making this up:
“Italy is to spearhead an international campaign to win UNESCO recognition for the Mediterranean diet, Italian Agriculture Minister Paolo De Castro announced on Tuesday. The minister told delegates that Italy [would ask UNESCO] to add the diet to its World Heritage List“…
It turns out that this is an extension of existing UNESCO nonsense, as “It has opened its register to include ”intangible heritage”, such as endangered languages or vanishing traditions. The Mediterranean diet is aiming for inclusion in this new category, which is so far home to music, dance and oral traditions from around the world“.
A bit of rooting around has found a list of what UNESCO reckons to be ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity‘, and doubtless every Belgian would immediately have thought of Processional Giants and Dragons, Italians of Opera dei Pupi, and Czechs of Slovácko Verbuňk or Recruit Dances. Incest and folk dancing, eh?
If everything in our culture is so valuable, why is our Government trying so hard to cut down on binge drinking, football hooliganism and joyriding? And what can UNESCO do to keep our culture alive?
Posted: 13th, March 2008 | In: Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
