Francesco Calabrò
Università Mediterranea degli Studi di Reggio Calabria francesco.calabro@unirc.it
Lucia Della Spina
Università Mediterranea degli Studi di Reggio Calabria lucia.dellaspina@unirc.it
Giuseppina Cassalia
Università Mediterranea degli Studi di Reggio Calabria giuseppina.cassalia@unirc.it
Tiziana Meduri
Università Mediterranea degli Studi di Reggio Calabria tiziana.meduri@unirc.it
Carmela Tramontana
Università Mediterranea degli Studi di Reggio Calabria carmen.tramontana@unirc.it
ABSTRACT
This paper presents a research project, where the Mediterranean Diet, recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to a multidisciplinary reading, becomes an opportunity and a valuable tool for the sustainable growth of the Inner Areas. The goal is to contribute to the development
of the rural areas of the Reggio Calabria’s Metropolitan City and the methodology is based on the
definition of a tool that allows the identification of the correct assets of knowledge, planning and evaluation oriented towards the development of territorial resources. The scope is to present a model able to help in enhancing the contexts of local products, preserving the “tangible” elements that make
up this ”intangible” lifestyle named Mediterranean Diet, in order to produce specific effective impacts
on territories and communities. In conclusion, the paper stresses the economic growth capacity of the cultural landscape outlined by the Mediterranean Diet recognizing the ability to defend the progressive erosion of the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean basin.
KEYWORDS: Cultural Heritage, Local Development, Rural Areas, Mediterranean Diet.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Mediterranean Diet, inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, involving Italy, Spain, Greece, Morocco, and from 2013 also Cyprus, Croatia, Portugal, could be seen as the optimal tool for the development of particularly disadvantaged areas (Calabrò, Della Spina & Tramontana, 2015). The recognition of this outstanding universal value identifies in Mediterranean life style the more balanced interaction between nature and humanity, according to the original etymology of the word "diet" that is life
style. As stated by UNESCO, the Diet refers to all the practices, representations, expressions,
knowledge, skills and cultural spaces with which peoples of the Mediterranean have created and re-created, over the centuries, a synthesis between the cultural and the social organization environment. From this standpoint, it reveals a universe of abilities, rituals, symbols, and traditions related to food production, harvesting, fishery, zootechnics, conservation, processing,
and cooking (UNESCO, 2013). Therefore, Mediterranean Diet appears as an element that goes far beyond the simplistic sense linked to nutritional properties, and draws attention to the ways and contexts in which these foods are produced and consumed. This paper presents the overall concept and the first stage of a research model where the Diet, according to this more thorough reading, becomes an opportunity and a valuable tool for the growth of the Inner Areas. To this end, the research project distinguishes two steps in the formulation of its development strategy, framed respectively in a theoretical model and an operating model.
2. THE THEORETICAL MODEL FOR THE INNER AREAS DEVELOPMENT
Inner areas possess a natural, cultural and social capital of exceptional value and
diversity which in Italy is largely unused. The recent Italian “National Strategy for Inner Areas”
has the overall objective of promoting local development by activating unused territorial capital through carefully selected development projects (MED, 2014). The issues to be addressed deal with the fragile socio-demographic dimension, the historic towns neglecting, natural and human-induced risks as a consequence of insufficient maintenance, just to cite few matters. Basically, the National Strategy brings experts to work with local stakeholders, identifying a set of strategic guidelines in order to allow regional governance to focus on future sustainable development of that area (Barca, 2011). In this context, the Mediterranean Diet, in its complete meaning, possesses the inherent potential related to its products, intended as the result of a specific use of combined ground with an exclusive lifestyle of local communities capable of creating the identity of the population as a cultural landscape. According to this definition, the presented research project defines the territory as a complex structure broken down into:
Built Environment System, nature and environment, considering the use of the land in the traditional way;
Socio-Cultural System, with reference to the complex system of uses, customs, traditions, featuring local identities;
Figure1: Representation of the distinct territorial system into three subsystems (elaborated by T.
Meduri)
According to the research project methodology, the breakdown in these systems is the identification of strategic guidelines to which address a number of actions on the territory able to stimulate:
the valorization of local resources so that they lose their simple condition "field"; the strengthening of local identity fostering the relationship between the common good and territorial identity;
the boost of local products, handicrafts and local entrepreneurship;
the development of the culture with the improvement of the runtime systems and connection with other territories;
the preservation of the universality and unicity of the Mediterranean Diet’ elements;
the value of the Mediterranean Diet asset according to its ability to generate social growth opportunities through integrated interventions of conservation and improvement of their knowledge and usability;
the flow of tourists in line with the economic and social growth of the territory.
The method proposed in this paper is a cross-sectoral integrated approach, recognized by the authors the best method to be implemented in order to guide the choices for inner areas development based on local resources enhancement: this approach is based on the awareness that the economic marginality of these areas is the result of several factors:
La concreta possibilità di fondare ipotesi di sviluppo sulle risorse locali non deriva dall’astratta valutazione di un modello di crescita “autocentrato”, …. ma parte dalla opportunità di cogliere
potenzialità imprenditoriali e professionalità emergenti, di assecondarle e qualificarle sul versante della
Built Environment System, nature and environment
Production System Socio-Cultural System TERRITORY
SOCIETY
promozione, della formazione, della assistenza tecnica e finanziaria, favorendone l’integrazione con il
sistema e con gli operatori economici esterni, collocando il progetto di sviluppo all’interno di un modello di sviluppo strettamente dipendente dalle reali potenzialità fisiche (Mollica, 1996).
In other words, the multidimensional valorization of the Mediterranean Diet would allow a cross-enhancement process of the tangible and intangible heritage, narrating stories and traditions of secular food, valorizing and managing the cultural landscape of the region. In addition, the research project stresses the importance of local communities participation in this process, through actions that might reverse the progressive depopulation, the main cause of
places’ degradation, contributing to the improvement of convenience and attractiveness for the
establishment of young, and therefore generating positive effects in terms of local development, social capital and employment growth (Cassalia, 2014). In conclusion, the research project on the Theoretical Model underlines that development starting point does not merely depend on the availability of resources, but by the effective management of interdependent growth factors, which otherwise, would remain latent and at disappearing risk, as in the case of the endogenous
resources of the Calabrian inner areas (the case study’s region).
3. THE OPERATIONAL MODEL: The Valorization Plan of the Mediterranean Diet
According to the first stage, the Mediterranean Diet becomes amplifier of tangible values, contributing to the cultural landscape connotation designed by this lifestyle, bringing out the local identity. As stated before, the role of economic development and social cohesion prime mover given to the element "Mediterranean diet" is not limited to the agri-food sector. The proposed operating model, which finds expression in the definition of a Valorization Plan, is in fact characterized by its multidisciplinary nature, for its ability to involve different sectors,
ranging from settlements’ issues, to those of local history /culture, nature and also to those of
the socio-economic as well connected to the local productions.
3.1. The development steps of the Valorization Plan
The Valorization Plan of the Cultural Landscape defined by the Mediterranean Diet allows to locate the correct addresses of knowledge, planning and evaluation of the feasibility of the plan, oriented towards the development of local identity and land resources.
From a methodological point of view, the model is broken down into three phases: Phase A – Knowledge.
Phase B – Programme.
The knowledge phase is focused on the definition of the contextual framework and the consistency of the identity heritage (tangible and intangible) to be protected, its significance
and local community’ perception. This phase is designed in order to develop detection tools
useful to define the addresses for the implementation of phase B.
The programming phase is made of the systematic organization and coordinated implementation of programs fostering the sustainable development of the inner areas. The data collected in the phase A define the programming axis, and its implementation is expressed through the definition of projects that will be evaluated in Phase C.
In this sense, the close connection between Phase A and B allows the identification of specific interrelations between resources and between resources and detractors, and accordingly appropriate strategic projects capable of enhancing the same resources, and mitigate the disturbances are formulated. The definition of indicators in the programming phase therefore becomes a priority in the Feasibility-Sustainability phase, Phase C. This phase leads to a technical, procedural and economical evaluation of the potential projects, identifying the main lines of a management and development strategy, involve all stakeholders (public and private), all resources (tangible and intangible) and services (infrastructure, reception services, research and training services, etc.) in the area (Calabrò & Della Spina, 2014).
4. THE IMPLEMENTING STEP OF THE PROJECT: the Research Center DEMETRA
For the implementation of the proposed valorization strategy, the Spin Off Urban Lab, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, has set up a Centre for Research on the Cultural Landscape of the Mediterranean Diet, named "Demetra".
According to the strong interdisciplinary character of the strategy previously described, the first act of the Research Centre consisted in the establishment of a Technical and Scientific Committee which includes scholars from different scientific fields.
Currently, the research project deals with its experimental phase: it means verifying the practical feasibility of the suggested approach, identifying the problem and the necessary correctives. The initial testing is covering the Inner Areas of the Reggio Calabria’s Metropolitan City. It has been established a network of 5 Observers, in the various homogeneous areas of the testing case study, and a network of partners, consisting initially of a) the municipalities where the observers were established, b) the Local Action Groups (GAL) operating in different areas, c) trade organizations of agricultural producers and d) the UNESCO Clubs; in the following phase, the partnership will be extended to further public and private stakeholders, differently interested in achieving the objectives of the DEMETRA Research Centre. From a procedural
standpoint, the DEMETRA Research Centre is designing a "Registry of Commons", in order to handle those municipalities that have in place a Cultural Landscape Valorization-Mediterranean Diet Plan, interested in cataloguing the identity heritage through the previously described approach (Phase A). This choice is part of a broader framework aimed at establishing an integrated approach to the different cultural and political bodies with various public needs, starting from the need to reactivate the mechanisms of social growth, economic and sustainable land use planning, using specific resources for the rediscovery and conservation of local identity. To test the validity of the proposed operational model, the implementation phase is being testing through the involvement of five "pilot" municipalities, the network partners of Demetra Observers, in order to extend this process to other municipalities of previously defined homogeneous areas, areas where common features of the cultural landscape defined by the Mediterranean Diet are identifiable.
5. FINAL REFLECTIONS
It is conviction of the authors of this paper that the approach used is the most appropriate to deal with the Inner Areas of the most disadvantaged regions, such as Calabria: these territories were excluded from the phase of rapid industrial expansion, therefore for this reason social organizations and traditional productive activities still, and this is the starting point to design a different development model.
The system of actions outlined by the research project could allow enabling new models of economic and tourist attraction for the products of the Mediterranean Diet within specific environmental historical and cultural contexts. The results of the research project will be more clearly presented once the testing phase will be concluded and assessed.
REFERENCES
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Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/RL/00884
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