From the snow-capped peaks of Lebanon’s Shouf Biosphere Reserve to Morocco’s High Atlas valleys and Greece’s Lemnos Island, a new story titled “The Ancient Cedar and Our Common Food” celebrates the profound ties between people, nature, and culture across the Mediterranean.
Produced under the Mediterranean Nature & Culture (AMNC) initiative, this episode highlights how traditional knowledge and sustainable practices unite communities around a shared vision: safeguarding biodiversity through food, craft, and collective heritage.
At the heart of the film lies Lebanon’s iconic cedar — a symbol of history, identity, and resilience — standing tall in the Shouf Cedar Nature Reserve, one of the region’s leading examples of biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. The story traces how this enduring tree inspires a sense of belonging and stewardship for future generations.
The journey continues across the Mediterranean:
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In Lebanon, local farmers and women supported by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) showcase how community-based production sustains both livelihoods and landscapes.
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In Greece, Athina from MedINA revives ancestral bread-baking traditions on Lemnos Island, offering a taste of the past that continues to nourish the present.
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In Morocco, the Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association (MBLA) and Rachid Jaafari—a key figure in Marrakech’s Harvest Festival—champion sustainable agriculture and the protection of local seeds through the Oukaimeden Seed Bank.
Through the voices of artisans like Raphael, the basket weaver and cheesemaker who describes his craft as “where the past meets the future,” the film unveils the living connections between food, identity, and the environment.
By weaving together these diverse yet intertwined stories, “The Ancient Cedar and Our Common Food” delivers a powerful message: preserving our natural and cultural commons is essential to building a more harmonious and sustainable future.
🌿 To learn more about the initiative, visit: https://mednatureculture.org/
#AMNC #MedNatureCulture #OurCommonsStory
