[WATCH] Farmers, long cast aside, band together for sector sustainability

After years of being ignored and cast aside, farmers have banded together to form a group, with an overarching goal of pushing for sustainability and prioritising the agricultural sector.

Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, launched today, already has 100 members, most of them full-time farmers, who will be adopting positions on topical issues relevant to farming, and proposing solutions and alternatives.

Malcolm Borg, the group’s coordinator, said food production in Malta was in jeopardy, and there was a lack of a political will to deal with the situation.

He said farmers were giving up and leaving their occupation because they could not keep up with foreign competition and also due to outdated structures, such as the Pitkalija, a wholesale market.

“Malta only produces 20% of its food needs – we need to make the farming sector a priority,” he said, underlining that the new group would give farmers a united voice to put forward their message to policy-makers and the public.

Ghaqda Bdiewa Attivi coordinator Malcolm Borg

“Never more than today has there been the need for farmers to unite. They are the secret of the little food security we have, and they are banding together to give a voice to those who work the fields in silence, and who have provided lifesaving supplies of food in needful times throughout Malta’s history,” Borg highlighted.

He said that farmers were for years left to face their problems on their own, and were cast aside. 

“But farmers are now tired of coping with bureaucracy, antiquated structures, working in all weather conditions and barely breaking even,” he emphasised.

Labelling system needed

Many things which have been done to the detriment of farmers happened because farmers were not united, Gozitan farmer Alex Tabone said, as he pushed for a system of local product labelling.

“We should be very proud of our local products, which are capable of competing with imported produce,” he said. 

However, Maltese produce was at a disadvantage because products were not labelled to indicate their origin. Tabone said farmers needed a system through which buyers could be assured they are really buying a Maltese product.

Landmark for farming sector

The formation of this group marks a landmark for the farming sector, Suzanne Piscopo from the University of Malta’s Education Faculty’s health department, said.

“We all know fruits and vegetable are good for your health – but although many people think ‘vitamins’ when they think of these products, they offer many more benefits through the minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants they contain,” Piscopo underscored.

She insisted there was nothing better than buying a truly fresh Maltese product which would have usually left the field not more than 24 hours before going on sale. Imported produce could take months to reach Malta, she added.