MEDIET Conference features Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries

[Guest guest]

Athens, Greece: Nikki Rose, founder of Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries

(CCS), an internationally acclaimed eco-agritourism network, will be

speaking at MEDIET 2007, the third international conference focusing on

the traditional Mediterranean diet, on April 25-26 at the National

Hellenic Research Foundation in Athens, Greece.

 

The conference brings together specialists covering the Mediterranean

diet and healthy-sustainable lifestyles. Rose's presentation is

" Eco-Agritourism as a Means to Preserve Culture and the

Environment. " Rose is an award-winning Greek-American professional

chef, writer and visionary socio-cultural activist. In 1998, she

founded CCS to support people actively working to preserve cultural

heritage and the environment, including organic farmers, chefs, ecolodge

owners, holistic health practitioners, and nature conservationists.

 

Ms. Rose said, " The renowned traditional Cretan diet is not a diet

but a way of life. The roots are deeper than eating healthy food. They

begin at the sources of wild edible plants, sustainable organic

agriculture, a clean environment, exercise and a healthy social

life. "

 

Small-scale, sustenance farming has been practiced in Crete for over

four thousand years. Modern researchers are using these traditional

models to provide solutions to today's issues relating to industrial

farming and toxic pesticides, proven to be damaging the environment,

safe food sources and health.

 

Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries works to rekindle resident and visitor

interest in Crete's culture and natural beauty -- the primary

reasons why people visit the island. Conservationists warn that mass

tourism and unsustainable development is rapidly depleting precious

resources. CCS builds alliances between the agricultural and tourism

sectors in an effort to curb the damage.

 

CCS was selected as an outstanding example of sustainable tourism by the

World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development, The World

Travel and Tourism Council, et al., and is benchmark for field research.

 

CCS organizes eco-agritourism workshops for practitioners and tailored

seminars for small groups. Seasonal programs cover healthy cuisine,

history, nature and agriculture and include the production of organic

wine, olive oil, cheese, honey and other delicacies. Visitors have a

rare opportunity to experience Crete from an insider's viewpoint and

learn lifestyle practices that can enrich their quality of life.

 

For more information: www.cookingincrete.com