Scientists warn iconic Mediterranean staples could soon be out of reach: 'We cannot afford to lose them'

The Mediterranean diet is known as perhaps the healthiest on the planet. However, our changing environment poses a serious threat to the future of these famously nutritious foodstuffs, according to Daily Sabah. Is there something we can do to keep this life-lengthening lifestyle from becoming a thing of the past?

What's happening?

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Mediterranean diet the healthiest on the planet for eight consecutive years. This heart-healthy, disease-preventing diet is packed with fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, whole grains, healthy oils, and fish for protein.

However, the Mediterranean Sea is also one of the areas most impacted by our changing climate. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the region is heating up 20% faster than the global average. With the area already suffering from water scarcity, it's easy to imagine the crops that provide this world-renowned diet are suffering, too.

For example, extreme weather, such as droughts, floods, and wildfires, has damaged olive crops, leading to a 140% increase in olive oil costs over the past three years. Olive oil serves as the linchpin of the Mediterranean diet.

"In Spain, Italy, Greece, and probably Türkiye, growing olives is becoming increasingly difficult," said Paolo Tarolli, a professor in the University of Padova department of agriculture management, per Daily Sabah. "However, olives are crucial for our diet, and we cannot afford to lose them."

It's not just crops, either. Fish are another key element of the Mediterranean diet, and environmental changes, overfishing, and pollution now threaten that food source. Not only are more than 30% of marine habitats in the Mediterranean under threat, but more than one in every 10 marine species are considered endangered.

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Why is protecting the Mediterranean diet important?

The Mediterranean diet is a key to the healthiest possible lifestyle. As crop yields continue to drop and food prices continue to soar, healthy eating may become something unattainable for many people.

Without a diet of natural, whole foods available to us, we'd likely become reliant on processed foods that are not only unhealthy but also contribute to harmful carbon pollution. This would only perpetuate the issues that put a healthy diet beyond the reach of the average person in the first place.

What's being done about the impact of extreme weather on crop yields?

Fortunately, there are some brilliant and passionate people currentl solutions to our growing agricultural problems.

Rising sea levels continue to increase soil salinity levels, threatening crop growth. However, researchers have recently discovered a way to potentially help crops become more tolerant of soil salinity.