Pollica community named FAO ‘Food Hero’ for preserving Mediterranean Diet

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has named the community of Pollica, located in the Cilento region of Italy, as a ‘Food Hero’ in anticipation of the upcoming World Food Day.

Announced by FAO Deputy Director-General Maurizio Martina at New York University during a conference titled ‘Food for Health • Food for Earth’, the recognition honors the entire community for its role in preserving and practicing the Mediterranean Diet. The award celebrates the collective efforts of local fishermen, farmers, cooks, artisans, families, and researchers who maintain this cultural and social heritage.

The FAO describes the Mediterranean Diet not merely as a nutritional model, but as a living system that integrates food, health, biodiversity, territory, and human relationships. This recognition highlights Pollica as an exemplary guardian of a heritage already recognized by UNESCO as intangible human heritage.