Journal of Food Science and Engineering 2 (2012) 437-451 Food Consumption Patterns and Sustainable Natural Resources Management in the Mediterranean Region Roberto Capone, Nicola Lamaddalena, Lamberto Lamberti, Abderraouf Elferchichi and Hamid El Bilali Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAI-B), International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano (Bari), Italy Received: December 7, 2011 / Published: August 20, 2012. Abstract: Sustainability of food systems and diets is not simply related to health concerns as it also involves environmental impacts. In fact, diets are major players in biodiversity erosion, natural resources degradation, climate change, etc.. The paper aims at analysing the main environmental impacts of the Mediterranean food consumption patterns on land and water resources and biodiversity. It provides a review on water and land resources and biodiversity in the Mediterranean and an analysis of the livestock sector impacts on ecosystem services. The most recent FAO food consumption statistics and standard impact data from different sources (e.g., Water Footprint Network; Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2010; Ewing et al., 2010) were used to calculate and discuss environmental impacts, i.e., water, carbon and ecological footprints. Mediterranean diets promote biodiversity use, conservation and sustainable natural resources management. They are more respectful of ecosystems and have lower environmental impacts than Northern Europe and American diets. Key words: Mediterranean diets, environmental impacts, biodiversity. 1. Introduction Modern agro-food systems failed to resolve the problem of hunger and malnutrition in the world. Moreover, they have also generated problems of overweight and obesity. Faced with fossil energy exhaustion, soil limited capacity, ecosystem degradation, climate change, unbalanced diets and population increase; the current food system can not be considered as sustainable and it is therefore necessary to act urgently to implement a strategy that promotes the use of the concept of “sustainable diets” in industrialized as well as developing countries. Diets are a significant factor in a number of critical sustainability issues such as climate change, public health, social inequality, biodiversity, energy, land and water use, etc. [1]. Sustainable diets are those with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security Corresponding author: Roberto Capone, researcher, research fields: sustainable consumption and production, mediterranean diet. E-mail: capone@iamb.it. and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources [2]. They provide food that is produced locally and distributed in the markets, making it available, accessible and affordable, safe and nutritious to all, protecting the income of farmers and other workers, and consumer and communities’ culture. Sustainable diets put nutrition, food and biodiversity at the core of sustainable development and human right to food. Diets affect various dimensions (agricultural, food, nutritional, environmental, social, cultural, economic) that interact with one another, either inseparably or separately and distinctly. From this point of view, the Mediterranean is the area where more than any others should be addressed many issues (biodiversity loss, soil erosion, water scarcity, etc.) directly or indirectly related D DAVID PUBLISHING