Overview
- The UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee meeting in New Delhi approved the inscription on December 10.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida hailed the decision as affirming national identity and promised economic gains.
- Italy’s Agriculture Ministry, renamed to emphasize food sovereignty, led the multi‑year bid presenting culinary practice as culture rather than a set of recipes.
- UNESCO status confers prestige and requires safeguarding measures that typically raise visibility for designated traditions.
- Critics in Italy describe the push as gastronationalism, noting cross‑cultural roots and unresolved issues such as a large market for counterfeit 'Made in Italy' foods, reliance on imported wheat for pasta, and documented losses in crop genetic diversity.