Chefchaouen, Morocco
UNESCO emblematic community of the Mediterranean Diet.
Chefchaouen, capital of the province and home to 54,562 inhabitants, is located in the north-western region of Morocco at an altitude of 600m and is defined in the north by the Mediterranean Sea.
Chefchaouen is heavily wooded and includes one of the largest fir forests in Morocco, constituting a natural park listed as an area of biological interest. Rich in water resources, it also has the long river Oued Laou which flows throughout the province, with the famous water sources of Ras elma,Tissemlan, Cherafat d’Akchour and Magoun.
Chefchaouen was chosen as an emblematic community of the Mediterranean Diet because the traditions and symbols passed down from generation to generation (food practices, social sharing and celebration) are still very much alive. This implies that local actors bring this heritage to life, and must be the bearer of local development and allow the local population to live in accordance with their cultural identity.
Chefchaouen’s vision is based on the territory, authenticity, Mediterranean culture (nature, architecture, arts), “Bon Vivre,” history and local resources (natural, human, textural and architectural).
Culture thus occupies a prominent place in this vision through the components of the identity of the city and its territory. The Mediterranean Diet project integrates this vision and concretizes the central role of cultural policy, responding to the strategic policies of the Communal Development Plan.
This plan is the result of a participatory process (civil society, public and private forces, administration) to define short, medium and long term policies,
The Mediterranean Diet is an exemplary driver for sustainable development in all aspects: economic, social, cultural, environmental. Its practices span from field to fork, encompassing agricultural to culinary knowledge, with a strong emphasis on the social and symbolic connotations of food.
