CIHEAM Press Review

From the Greco-Persian and Punic Wars of Antiquity to the Mediterranean Campaign (1940-1945), not to mention the Battle of Lepanto (1571), the Mediterranean Sea has, throughout history, been the scene of conflict and tension between coastal civilisations and empires. A commercial and cultural crossroads, it is the regional basin where, since time immemorial, varied cultures, agricultural crops, religions and political regimes have rubbed shoulders, envied one another and competed with each other… From a natural frontier, the sea nevertheless quickly became a maritime roadway and a link between nations. Exchanges of knowledge, goods and know-how were able to cross borders via the sea to spread throughout the region. The search for sea routes gave rise to maritime trade and developed the beginnings of international commerce.

New research sug­gests that ancient humans in Africa had con­tact with the olive tree and used its branches and fruits about 100,000 years ago.
The study, pub­lished by NaturePlants and authored by a team of inter­na­tional sci­en­tists, showed evi­dence of wild olive trees in the Rabat-Temara caves, a highly rel­e­vant archae­o­log­i­cal site on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.

Ministers and farming organizations tasted local extra virgin olive oil and table olives while promoting a UNESCO nomination for Italian cuisines.Photo: The Olive Times

The world we inhabit today has changed dramatically since we first began farming thousands of years ago. Yet the challenge to provide food security to all is not new and has been a common struggle throughout our past. By looking back, we can see how things have developed and use our knowledge to think in different ways and open up new possibilities for the future of our food system.