Climate Change Threatens Mediterranean Diet and Agriculture, Experts Warn
March 28, 2025 | Source: AA Environment | by Yeter Ada Seko and Fatma Zehra Solmaz
For seven consecutive years, the Mediterranean diet has been ranked the healthiest by US News & World Report, and in 2010, it was recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Yet, the Mediterranean region’s vulnerability to climate change is placing immense pressure on the very foods that define this diet.
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average. Water demand is expected to double by 2050, while average temperatures could rise by 1.8 to 3.5 C by 2100. A two-degree increase alone may lead to a 10-15% decline in rainfall, affecting every level of the Mediterranean diet pyramid.
Beyond agricultural concerns, climate shifts are also changing how people live and interact with their environment.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study found that outdoor activity days in Mediterranean countries are decreasing.