The Platform for Mediterranean Foodways was set up and recently embedded within the auspices of the Mediterranean Institute. This platform draws in a specific interest in the study of food by placing it at the centre of a broader discussion on the socio-historic, cultural and scientific studies on the wellbeing and history of different Mediterranean societies, as well as of the Mediterranean region as a whole. Food, food stories, consumption, production, trade, nutrition, and distribution patterns say a lot about society as we know it today while studying the historic, geographic and changing agro-economic contexts that lead to the contemporary situation.

The concept of 'foodways' is key to understanding the rationale of all research fostered under the platform. Foodways is central to understanding the complexity of human nourishment. A multidisciplinary approach is used to achieve a more holistic  and deep understanding of how food reflects broader social realities. The (international) journal of 'Food and Foodways' looks at this concept as: 'reflecting on the role food plays in human relations, ...[to]... explore the powerful but often subtle ways in which food has shaped and shapes our lives socially, economically, politically, mentally, nutritionally, and morally. Because food is a pervasive social phenomenon, it cannot be approached by any one discipline.'

Food and Foodways. Explorations in the History and Culture of Human Nourishment [accessed: 1 March, 2018]