Threading Roots Research Booklet

threading roots shifting landscapes, food security & a planetary garden

julia frendo ads7: politics of atmosphere ma architecture 21/22 royal college of art 1

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what we eat is a daily reminder that we are part of the complex cycles that make up this intricate, living earth. food brings us into the kingdom of soil, offers the taste of sunlight, reveals the memories encoded within a seed, and holds narratives of cultural power. emergence magazine

key words: carbon, food security, climate, soil, forest, ecology, land, resilience

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abstract introduction contextualising ecologies l-imnarja, the farmers’ feast the table runner arundo donax, weaving archaeophytes ħajt tas-sejjieħ, rubble wall systems carbon dioxide removal & policies hm22 quarry, wied il-filep project references film references film & media development appendix: interviews appendix: iterations and extended elements bibliography

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fig.1: still from OmVed gardens film, on transformation of the site by landscape architect (OmVed Gardens, 2017).

OmVed Gardens. (2017). del Buono Gazerwitz - Landscape Architecture of OmVed Gardens.

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abstract Threading Roots reflects on the role that humans play within the complex web of ecosystems that regulate life on Earth. Where traces of our natural environment, shifting landscapes and ecology form part of the journey travelled by human civilizations. The project works through scales of interdependencies, highlighting the interwoven nature of actions and interventions scattered across an almost exhausted quarry site. Acting as an archive to be read through the soils, produce and consumption shifts across the island, it criticizes and reconstructs L-Imnarja, a local agricultural feast held once a year in celebration of local craft and produce. The project works to introduce tools that promote the adaptation of a contemporary feast at various scales of intimacy.

Dissipating boundaries between people, food and local ecologies, the project is a reconstructed testing bed for conviviality, access and experimentation. It is a distributed architecture that is constructed through old techniques of rubble stone building and giant reed weaving as it aims to bring together the residents, the chef and the farmers to celebrate the diversity of our local seeds, produce and forage.

The project creates a shift in seemingly and historically divergent interests - bringing together threads of past ecologies into future assemblages of inhabitation. Following Anna L.Tsing’s theory of assemblages and contamination described in The Mushroom at the End of the World, the interventions are to work inclusively with the ecological, economic and social perspectives of encounters. As each individual and organism is influenced by their everyday encounter with the other, and every decision impacts the surrounding organisms through contamination.

Food, nature and people are three essential elements, which when in balance, provide a food system that supports natural systems; biodiversity, soil nutrition and stable climatic conditions.

Food security and the support of local production lead to care and subtle entanglements between human and non-human worlds, whilst releasing carbon emission pressure from importation and regenerating our soils.

The film is taken from a point in the future, post-implementation of the project and narrates a nostalgic timeline of the conditions we face with our ecologies on the island and feast implementation. It is read through the scales of interdependencies, weaving narratives of our contradictory realities. It juxtaposes places, scales and scenarios across the entire island and site, continually displacing the viewer between fiction and reality - past, present and future. The lack of narration overlaying the imagery and scenes allows for a seemingly disconnected reality, giving the viewer agency to reconstruct and observe the social, economic and ecological relations.

The social and human may not be completely isolated from the environment and non-human, working to create collective stewardship towards the whole (Tsing, 2015).

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Tsing, A. L. (2015). The Mushroom at the End of the World. Princeton University Press.

fig.2: local map showing agricultural land around Gℏadira Bay in 1899-1907 (National Archives of Malta).

National Archives of Malta, Survey Sheets 1899-1907.

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introduction The project is initiated through the study of carbon dioxide removal projects, primarily reading into afforestation, reforestation, and agroforestry practices. Carbon sequestration, the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis, is embodied in our soils, and relies heavily on the quality of the nutrition of the soil for all forestry and agricultural practices to flourish (USGS, no date). This, in turn, affects the larger cycle of our ecosystems.

Good quality soil results in healthier crops, food systems, forestry, and habitats, influencing their potential for carbon storage. The project intends to reflect profoundly on the role that humans play within the complex web of ecosystems that regulate life on Earth. The traces of our natural environment, shifting landscapes and ecology form part of the journey travelled by and of human civilisations. This was especially depicted through the narratives of abandoned infrastructures within Berlin by geographers and urbanists, Sandra Jasper and Matthew Gandy, in their film Natura Urbana: The Brachen of Berlin (Gandy and Jasper, 2017). The film may act as an initial proxy study for understanding the importance of surviving ecologies on the island of Malta today, whereby the directors study the adaptability of non-human life and neotypes (migrating plants) amongst industrial ruins within Berlin (Gandy and Jasper, 2017).

Social Ecological Systems is the introduction of perspectives on the artificial and arbitrary boundary line between natural and social systems - the understanding and integration of humans in nature and principles of resilience, regeneration and living within balance of our ecosystems (Berkes and Folke, 1998; Harries, 2021). This may be delved into further when understanding human influence on our food systems and agricultural practices on our land. According to an article published by ‘naturefood’ in March 2021, food systems today are responsible for a third (34%) of global human-caused (anthropogenic) CO2 emissions (Tandon, 2021).

How may social ecological systems perspectives be applied at various scales of influence within design for neighbourhoods, cities or the country as a whole to support the transformation of local systems (Harries, 2021)? How may the traces of ecologies of the Maltese Islands’ past and present be a means of provoking a more revitalised and balanced future? Could forestry techniques and agricultural land-use shifts be understood as essential for the adaptation, resilience, and survival of an island state?

With a key focus on the nature of precarity in these forests and the revitalisation of the soil nutrients, the film and representational pieces of the project will play on the notions of intimacy, care, and support with regards to forestry and farming in the context of food security within the Maltese Islands. The themes throughout the project are to look at understanding the forest as an archive of ways of seeing, thinking, and addressing forest-human and human-non-human relationships down to the scale of the soil and seed (Ringle, 2021).

USGS, U. S. D. of the I. (n.d.). What is carbon sequestration?

Gandy, M., & Jasper, S. (2017, June 17). Natura Urbana | The Brachen of Berlin.

Berkes, F., & Folke, C. (1998).

Linking social and ecological systems: management practices and social mechanisms for building resilience.

Harries, F. (2021, January 22).

Adaptive Ecology: How philosophy and design can change our relationship to nature.

Tandon, A. (2021, March 8). Food systems responsible for “one third” of human-caused emissions.

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Ringle, E. F. (2021). Theorizing a Vegetal Epistemology: Trees, Timber, and Temporality in Forest Under Story .

fig. 3: still from Jubilee Grove, Pieta’ ruins and wild growth (personal footage).

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fig. 4: still from Natura Urbana: The Brachen of Berlin, urban wildnerss and neotypes across industrial ruins (Gandy & Jasper, 2017).

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Gandy, M., & Jasper, S. (2017, June 17). Natura Urbana | The Brachen of Berlin.

contextualising ecologies Malta: Historical Context The landscape, biota, and ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin have been shaped and reshaped across several millennia by the impacts of human settlers (Times of Malta, 2018). The interlinkages between elements of the region’s ecosystem and its human inhabitants have been influenced by a complex history of coevolution.

The Maltese Islands are no different. The precarity of forests and land use across these lands have been driven in no small part by the intensive exploitation of the soil and deterioration of its nutrients. The first civilisations to inhabit the Maltese islands, dating back to 5900 BC, introduced a strong agricultural tradition across the land (Times of Malta, 2018). This meant that these islands, originally half-covered with natural forests, were deforested and converted into agricultural and urban land for their inhabitants’ use (The Ecosprinter, 2013). We witness a long history of agricultural processes degrading the soil, overgrazing and fluctuations between uninhabitable periods and periods of soil revitalisation (Times of Malta, 2018).

The inhabitants’ relationship with and use of the soil, trees and produce on the island has been and remains in constant flux. Over the years, the island has seen major shifts in produce from cotton crops, spices, citrus trees and large stretches of olive trees to felling of trees and forests for wood manufacturing. The Arab influence on the island was significant for their introduction of new techniques in agriculture and irrigation in addition to their language and production of cotton and citrus fruit (Jochim, 2017). On the other hand, the Bronze Age was renowned for the increase of arboriculture such as fig, pomegranate and drupe trees. Higher dominance of olive and grape cultivation to produce oil and wine was characteristic of the Phoenician and Roman periods of the island. In fact, during this period, local ‘Bidni’ Olive oil was said to have been exported to Rome due to its quality and richness (Plant Health Directorate, 2013). During the sixteenth century prickly pear was introduced on the island for its fruit and as fodder, while the island was renowned for its superior quality of its citrus fruits, which was exported throughout Europe. Whereas potatoes started to take predominance on the island during the British colonial period, along with wheat, barley and a variety of fruits and vegetables such as oranges, melons, watermelons, figs, prickly pear and more (Plant Health Directorate, 2013).

By identifying the relationship between the civilisations inhabiting the land and the shifts in farming methods, deforestation and plantation prioritisation by the island’s colonisers, a better understanding of the biodiversity and endemic ecology of the island is used to enhance the awareness of our soil and our relation to its past. The project investigates this history as a tool for understanding traditional produce and techniques of the past and focusing on our local ecosystems to reduce carbon emissions from importation and soil deprivation.

Times of Malta. (2018, March 16).

700 years added to Malta’s history.

The Ecosprinter. (2013, September 13).

Maltese Forests.

Jochim, M. J. (2017, April 11). Malta #19 (1901).

Plant Health Directorate. (2013).

History of Agriculture in the Maltese Islands.

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fig.5: local map showing agricultural land around Mellieℏa in 1899-1907 (National Archives of Malta).

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National Archives of Malta, Survey Sheets 1899-1907.

fig.6: local map showing agricultural land around Burmarrad in 1899-1907 (National Archives of Malta).

National Archives of Malta, Survey Sheets 1899-1907.

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We can learn a lot from the mistakes made by the first Maltese. The lack of water, coupled with the destruction of soil that takes centuries to form, can cause the failure of a civilisation. The second group of inhabitants to Malta in 3,8502,350BC managed their resources adequately and harnessed soil and food for over 1,500 years. “ Prof. Malone

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Times of Malta. (2018, March 16).

700 years added to Malta’s history.

fig.7: collection of Google Map satellite shots of agricultural land across the Island of Malta (personal collection).

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Today, agriculture remains a prominent land cover at 42% of land area, followed by 29.9% unused and abandoned areas, 17.8% residential area and 0.5% forests (Eurostat, 2021). These numbers display the dependency of our rural landscape and vegetation on the islands’ agricultural practices and farmers. Contrary to the vast land cover allocated for arable land, food security rates are at a low as Malta imports three-quarters of its food from foreign destinations, relying heavily on importation and creating competitive prices that put pressure on local produce and farmers. The farming community in Malta are the caretakers of our soils and rural environment both extremely valuable in protecting our endemic ecosystems, retaining water, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through the climate crisis faced today (Times of Malta, 2021).

Particularly within the Maltese context, it should be acknowledged that farmers and agricultural land is in fact an extension of the islands’ natural habitats and biodiversity. Farming practices play an important role in carbon capture and in fighting issues of global warming. More incentives to encourage access to young farmers are needed and profit margins should be reflective of the contribution being made to the country’s food security, caretaking of our soil and stewardship towards our ecosystems (Times of Malta, 2021).

The small scale of Malta makes it interesting and more suitable to implement better practices and drive more carbon conscious initatives which in turn may be scaled up. The project works within the architectural type of the forst, through layers of relationships and spatial organisation of assemblages of species that thread and work together to build a healthier, resilient ecosystem.

The project will act at these interventions of infrastructure, policy and material making use of tools to thread a relation across people, food and forest ecology.

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Times of Malta. (2018, March 16).

700 years added to Malta’s history.

Times of Malta.

fig.8: still from Conversations with farmers: Cane and Cass.

Vella, C. (2021). Conversations with Maltese Farmers - Cane and Cass . https://vimeo.com/491515779.

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fig.9: collection of Google Map satellite shots of agricultural land across the Island of Malta (personal collection).

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fig.10: british blue books documenting imports and exports in Malta during british rule (National Archives of Malta).

National Archives of Malta, Survey Sheets 1957.

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blue books, british documents

The Malta Blue Books date back to the times of the British Administration of the 19th and 20th Centuries. The British Empire set high standards for the collection and availability of information about several aspects of life in its colonies.

The volumes comprise a wealth of statistics, including detailed information about food imports and exports.

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Southhampton Southhampton Livorno Livorno

Marseilles Marseilles Barcelona Barcelona Valencia Valencia

Piraeus Piraeus Algiers Algiers Tangier Tangier Malta Malta(Freeport) (Freeport) Pointe PointeAAPitre Pitre

fig.11: mediterranean basin hotspot, forest biomes and transportation routes (personal drawing).

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MEDITERRANEAN BASIN HOTSPOT forest biomes & transportation routes

Importation Importation&&Exportation ExportationRoutes Routes

Mersin Mersin

Mediterranean Europe is largely perceived as a largely spoiled Eden that will eventually become desertified. The sustainable management of woodland has always been a fact of life in Mediterranean Europe, and today we seen the visible signs of coppices and wood-pasture - a form of agroforestry (Grove, n.d.).

The Maltese Islands find themselves within the heart of the Mediterranean and trade routes. Malta has a great lack of forests and forested land due to past civilisation influence of deforestation and shifting land use to focus on agricultural practices. There is also great competition for changes in land use as a result of the island’s current densely populated state.

One of the main issues faced by afforestation projects is land precarity and competition - which is extreme in the context of the small island state.

Iskenderun Iskenderun

The future climate of the island is heading towards crisis and yet another uninhabitable state if our agricultural land, soil and biodiversity are not given the care and support needed. We face risks of desertification, food shortages and unbearable climates as a continuous result of the unacknowledged interdependencies of our actions.

Beirut Beirut

Alexandria Alexandria Colombo Colombo

Pointe PointeDes DesGallets Gallets

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Grove, A. T. (n.d.). The Nature of Mediterranean Europe: An Ecological History .

fig. 12: still of Argotti Botanical Gardens research centre, collection of various non-endemic ecologies growing across the island (personal still).

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fig. 13: still of Argotti Botanical Gardens research centre, ancient trees and overgrowth (personal still).

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l-imnarja, the farmers feast On the 28th of June, an annual hosting of the traditional national feast, L-Imnarja, in celebration of local farming produce and craft (Borg Cardona, 2020). This emerged as resistance against the Order of St.John (colonisers at the time) by farmers in times of national food insecurity after the second world war. Today, this feast acts as a pure symbol of nostalgia for the past and a false political ideology of support for local produce.

The feast began as a resistance and reaction to the political turmoil caused by the restriction of rabbit hunting by the Order’s government, a legal implication that resulted in farmers finding difficulty in controlling the protection of their produce and fields. This was seen to be a controversial legislation that prioritised the elite, who were given licenses to hunt rabbit and made use of Boschetto, the grand master’s hunting lodge and stables.

Under British rule, Maltese agriculture underwent a number of profound changes, encouraged by the authorities concerned to increase Malta’s food supply (Let’s Celebrate L-Imnarja with a Fenkata, 2020). Rabbit hunting became a right over common land and a measure to control sepcies that representated a threat to the annual crops (Cassar, 1994; Let’s Celebrate L-Imnarja with a Fenkata, 2020). Food insecurity rates were high, and it is during this period that the national Maltese rabbit dish was introduced as a peasant meal, symbolising the struggle against the previous Order’s government. Furthermore, new crops were introduced in attempt to solve food security rates, introducing the potato as a popularly grown crop on the island - seen to replace the cumin seed and cotton as Malta’s cash crop (Cassar, 1994).

The celebration of L-Imnarja grew during this period in celebration of the resistance to the Orders’ rabbit hunting restriction and food insecurities faced after the second wolrd war. It begins as people gather in Buskett gardens (Boschetto), the little reforestation project created by the Grandmasters of the Order of St John, orginating as their hunting grounds (Borg Cardona, 2020).

The population would participate in the feast as the traditional ‘ghana’ is sung, traditional dances displayed and a large collective feast on local rabbit and wine (Cassar, 1994). It is in 1857, that the festivity also became to be associated with an exhibition of animals and agricultural produces and prizes announced on behalf of the Governor William Reid for the best of those exhibits. The Societa’ Agricola, established in 1844 with the intention of encouraging the farming communities was in charge of organising and running the event to this day (Borg Cardona, 2020).

Borg Cardona, A. (2020, June 29).

L-IMNARJA. Cassar, C. (1994). Fenkata: An Emblem of Maltese Peasant Resistance?

Let’s Celebrate L-Imnarja with a Fenkata. (2020, June 29). A Maltese Pantry.

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fig.14: stills of CNRS documentary of L-Imnarja in Malta (Galley & Cavillon, 1983).

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Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

fig.15: stills of CNRS documentary of L-Imnarja in Malta (Galley & Cavillon, 1983).

Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

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fig.16: stills of CNRS documentary of L-Imnarja in Malta (Galley & Cavillon, 1983).

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Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

fig. 17: image of L-Imnarja event at Boschetto, Rabat (Let’s Celebrate L-Imnarja with a Fenkata, 2020).

Let’s Celebrate L-Imnarja with a Fenkata. (2020, June 29). A Maltese Pantry.

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L-IMNAJRA FESTIVAL core layout and events

each family gathers under a tree for shade

tables to display local produce, craft and food

national flag pride for local produce banners and decorations

traditional performances

audience, benches and dining

fruit and vegetables on display

fig. 18: L-Imnarja Festival, core layout and events plan (personal drawing).

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woodland picnic gathering and dining

the table runner Bizzilla: traditional cotton lace & dining The traditional maltese lace (Bizzilla) is a style of bobbin lace made in Malta. It is worked as a continuous width on a tall, thin, upright lace pillow (Maltese Lace, n.d).. The bigger pieces are made of two or more parts sewn together. The art of lace making in Malta can be traced back to the cotton trade of the Maltese Islands along the maritime trade route with Genoa, dating back to 1530. This craft was passed down through generations and many lace makers, mainly women practice this craft today (although no lnoger as popular). This intricate craft is usually make from cream silk or linen threan and cotton. It is usually worked in isolation or along a cloth stitch for table cloths or table runners. Bizilla is often seen across dining tables and collective gatherings.

Taking inspiration from the nature of this intricate art, the project is to be representated throguh the technique of threading across the site, incorporating the table runner as a tool for collective gathering and conviviality.

Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

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fig. 19: Bizilla weaving tablecloths, platter sets and lace (Bobbin Lace, n.d.) (Maltese Lace, n.d).

Bobbin Lace. (n.d.). Https://Yamm.

Finance/Wiki/Bobbin_lace.Html.

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Maltese Lace. (n.d.). Https:// En.Wikipedia.Org/Wiki/Maltese_ lace.

fig. 20: Inquisitor’s palace ‘cucina’ (Abela, n.d.).

Abela, N. (n.d.). Inquisitor’s Palace “Cucina.” Https://Tastehistory.Mt/ Inquisitors-Palace-Cucina/.

fig. 21: tinello Abela, N. (n.d.).

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fig. 22: Inquisitor’s palace ‘cucina’ (Abela, n.d.).

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Abela, N. (n.d.). Inquisitor’s Palace “Cucina.” Https://Tastehistory.Mt/ Inquisitors-Palace-Cucina/.

fig. 23: still of arundo donax plant by road infrastructure (personal still).

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arundo donax, weaving archaeophytes Nassa: reed fishing trap Nassa, is a traditional reed fishing trap. The material used to construct these traps is Mediterranean cane (qasba) cut into fine strips or with disa. The shape is genereally oval or round. These traps are usually set in the afternoon and pulled out after four or five hours (VassalloMalta, n.d.).

These traps were also made of the giant reed, arundo donax, found scattered across the island mostly associated with the valleys. This non-native, archaeophyte has been on the island for over 1000 years and is very commonly found as it is very invasive (Arundo Donax (Giant Reed), n.d.)

This would be a free resource for the craft of weaving the Nassa fishing traps and also seen to be used to make Hasira, a windbreaking blind for the front door, windbreaks at a perimeter of a field and for trellissing in farms and gardens. There is no protection for the plant as it spreads greatly and finds its way filtering in to urban areas, across infrastructures and disturbed land.

This extremely abundant, invasive species grows to 6m in height, possibly 10m in ideal conditions.

It is indigenous to Asia, however, over the centuries has been introduced to every continent where it has become naturalised (Great Reed - Arundo Donax, n.d.). It is adaptive to a wide variety of habitat types but is most often associated with riparian and wetland habitats (Great Reed - Arundo Donax, n.d.). It can tolerate a variety of soil type, growing in heavy clay, loose sands and even gravel soils. It is one of the fastest growing plants in the world and is highly inflammable. It is regarded as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species (Great Reed - Arundo Donax, n.d.). This proves it to be an important resource to cut down and prevent the over invasion and killing off of other species across surrounding areas. The giant reed is introduced into the architecture of the project as a means of working with weaving techniques, soaking and bending. This is used as a tool for trellissing agricultural growth across the project and display seeds while acting as pergola shading.

Arundo Donax (Giant Reed). (n.d.).

Http://Www.Maltawildplants.Com/ POAC/Arundo_donax.Php.

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Great Reed - Arundo Donax. (n.d.). Https://Chadwicklakes.Mt/ Biodiversity/Great-Reed-ArundoDonax-Il-Qasba-l-Kbira/.

fig. 24: nassa, traditional giant reed woven fishing traps (Heritage Malta).

Heritage Malta. (n.d.). Gran Castello Historic House

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fig. 25: nassa, traditional giant reed woven fishing traps (VassalloMalta, n.d.).

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VassalloMalta.

Malta.

(n.d.).

Fishing

in

fig. 26: material weaving tests (personal models).

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fig. 27: material weaving tests (personal models).

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fig. 28: material weaving tests (personal models).

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fig. 29: material weaving tests (personal models).

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fig. 30: weaving soil, seed and roots display on HM22 (personal render).

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fig. 31: weaving soil, seed and roots display on HM22 (personal render).

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ħajt tas-sejjieh, rubble stone walls Rubble walls built using traditional methods and materials provide important habitats for a variety of local flora and fauna. The infill is able to retain moisture for a long period of time, providing a varied environment with different gradients of humidity, ranging from very damp at the bottom of the wall to very dry at the top. This allows for different species of flora to grow and establish their roots alongside and within the cavities of the rubble walls.

The natural fissures and vaities found in between the rough stones used to build these walls also provide shelter for many small animals (Vella & Garrido, n.d.).

Rubble walls are at the very core of Malta’s architectural identity, crafted in a variety of techniques refined for millennia, most likely imported by neolithic man over 7,000 years ago.”

Said told Times of Malta the local trade risked being replaced by quick-fix or imported methods often using unsympathetic materials (such as cement and construction debris) resulting in a mediocre, alien appearance (Carabott, n.d.). Ħitan tas-sejjieħ range in form, from simple low boundaries, delineating territories to retaining structures enclosing fields or terraces. There are also rubble walls within the built environment, erected to impressive heights – at times over two storeys – around gardens and orchards, offering security and shelter from strong gusts of wind.

The plants growing on or beside rubble walls are mostly the more widespread species of herbs, shrubs and trees of the Mediterranean region: 1. Maidenhair Fern ‘Tursin il-bir’ 2. The Sweet Alison, ‘Buttuniera’ 3. Spiny Asparagus, ‘Sprag Xewwieki’ 4. Caper, ‘Kappara’ And the following are often seen grown close to these walls: 1. The Fig Tree, ‘Sigra tat-tin’ 2. The Prickly Pear, ‘Bajtar tax-Xewk’

Vella, J., & Garrido, J. (n.d.). Our Ancestral Country Allies: The Rubble Walls.

Carabott, S. (n.d.). Could Malta’s rubble walls make it to Unesco list of intangible heritage?

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fig. 32 : ħajt tas-sejjieh, maltese rubble wall systems (publicservice.gov.mt, n.d.).

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publicservice.gov.mt. (n.d.). Don’t Touch That Rubble Wall!

fig. 33 : ħajt tas-sejjieh details from book (Ellul, 2005)

Ellul, E. (2005). Il-Ħitan tas-Sejjieħ.

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fig. 34 : ħajt tas-sejjieh details from book (Ellul, 2005)

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Ellul, E. (2005). Il-Ħitan tas-Sejjieħ.

fig. 35 : il-girna, farmer dry-stone hut (Girna, n.d.).

Girna. (n.d.). Https://De.Wikipedia.

Org/Wiki/Girna.

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girna, dry stone farmers hut The girna is a single room erected to meet the needs of farmers and herdsmen. It has a double wall built of undressed stones, which are left unplastered. This Maltese stone hut has a ceiling shaped like a dome internally, wheras its external watt is usually circular (The Maltese Islands, 2008). The Maltese girna looks like a plain strucutre, however, its beauty ties in the skill of its construction, built as it is with fairly sized stones ably laid next to on eanother. Since the ‘giren’ are mostly located in the West and North West of Malta, where there are large quantities of loose limestone rocks on the surface, many of them are constructed with this materials(The Maltese Islands, 2008). It has one horizontal slab, or else is arched. There isn’t a fixed rule that determines the size, however it is dependent on the skills of the builder. Although some Maltese did use these for habitation, these structures were originally built to meet hte personal needs of farmers and herdsmen and for the raising of live stock. In this shelter, many farmers used to store food and drink, keep their tools, potatoes, onions and hay or others would dry figs, tomatoes or carobs in the suit on the roof of their girna (The Maltese Islands, 2008).

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The Maltese Islands. (2008). Il-Girna The Stone Hut. Http://Malteseislands.

Blogspot.Com/2008/08/Il-GirnaStone-Hut.Html.

TRADITIONAL’GIRNA’ AND ‘HAJT TAS-SEJJIEH’ the farmers dry-wall hut and rubble wall terracing system

Elevation of a ‘Girna’

inclination of the wall capstone 'mazkan', smaller stones for infill

tie stone

soil

hillslope

larger foundation stones

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These systems are found distributed across the Maltese islands rural areas and agricultural terraced fields. They have become sysnonymous with the Maltese countryside. The construction techniques makes use of geberl tax-xaghri, exposed rocky coralline limestone (Ellul, 2005) Ceiling of a ‘Girna’

The construction of these walls follows 3 rules: 1. The largest rocks must be found at the base.

2. The middle, found between both layers of walls (qoxxa) must be filled with small rubble stones known as mazkan.

3. They must be slowly and slightly tiled from the bottom up.

retaining rubble wall

The foundations and base must be rock or clay, and apporximately 1m below must be dug out under the soil level or along the bed of concrete (Ellul, 2005).

The mazkan acts both to hold the walls together and to allow for drainage (Ellul, 2005).

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Ellul, E. (2005). Il-Ħitan tas-Sejjieħ.

fig. 36: collection of plant species that grow in rubble wall systems, or along side rubble wall ssystem. (personal collection)

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fig. 37: garrigue landscape growth (personal still)

fig. 38: wild capers growing in rubble system outdoors (personal still)

fig. 39: wild growth in rubble limestone conditions on site (persnoall still).

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“

It’s not just about planting tree shoots. It’s a much more complex know-how that requires an approach adapted to each terroir, each landscape, each valley on the planet, considering its biodiversity and the culture of the local population.

Stephane Hallaire, President and Founder of Reforest’Action

Hallaire, S. (n.d.). reforestACTION.

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“

fig. 40: still from pine trees at jubilee grove afforestation project, pieta’ (personal still).

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fig. 41: still from pine trees at jubilee grove, pieta’ (personal still).

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carbon dioxide removal (cdr) & policies The Forest Earth’s forests account for most of the global natural carbon storage, as forests may hold substantial potential for further carbon dioxide removal, particularly if actively managed with Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) in mind (Wilcox, Kolosc and Freeman, 2021). Carbon is removed from the atmosphere into the forest ecosystem through the leaves, as the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere is converted into solid carbon, i.e., either soluble sugars inside the twigs and leaves of a tree, as stored carbohydrates, the wood, the roots, fungi and over time, through the internal recycling of this carbon between trees and soil (Norman, 2020; Wilcox, Kolosc and Freeman, 2021). Carbon storage is generally greater in older, structurally complex forests - one with large trees, small trees, live trees, dead trees and understory, midstory and overstory vegetation arranged collectively. A forest structure is defined by the size, arrangement and condition of trees and other surrounding vegetation (Carbon and Forests, 2021).

Improved forest management, afforestation, reforestation, and agroforestry projects form part of several voluntary and mandatory carbon-offset trading schemes worldwide. Afforestation refers to the establishment of new trees and forest cover (often monoculture plantations) in an area where forests have not existed recently. Afforestation projects create new forests that will serve as new carbon sinks and sources of biodiversity (Dunne, 2018). It is found to be the preferred measure for policymakers to solve a range of ecological problems, as it is believed that forests help to improve soil health and quality, reverse land degradation, halt land desertification and provide clean water through an intensified water cycle (Lee and Zhang, 2018). However, it also often falls into the trap of seemingly providing a simple solution to a complex system of carbon offsetting and other social, environmental, and economic issues.

Furthermore, agroforestry is the growing of both trees and agricultural crops on the same piece of land. It encourages the use of perennial crops, intercropping systems with annual crops and therefore results in growing many diverse crops in a small area (Agroforestry Research Trust, no date). This is particularly common in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean region. Agroforestry may introduce potential balance in the relationships between agriculture, forest structures and temporal relationships between organisms and networks. As a tool for controlling carbon capture, stimulating microclimates and transforming the rural landscapes of the islands - these techniques may provide for tree and other crop products whilst protecting and diversifying economic, environmental, human and natural resources Agroforestry Research Trust, no date).

Afforestation, Reforestation and Agroforestry projects encounter 6 main issues, that of land competition, permanence risk, biophysical feedbacks to climate, additionality, leakage and ethically and socially responsible deployment (Smith et al., 2014). It is the precarious state of permanence of forests in relation to land competition for development and profit which may result in physical leakage; the release of carbon dioxide through burning and deforestation of trees that originally held a storage state (Wilcox, Kolosc and Freeman, 2021). Furthermore, carbon emitted through importation and transportation projects may displace emissions to other locations and across borders.

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Agroforestry Research Trust. (n.d.).

About Agroforestry. Agroforestry Research Trust.

EU Strategies The EU recently released reform on their policies and deals to push for the continent to become climate neutral. Introducing the 2019-2024 Strategy of a European Green Deal, where agriculture and the care for our rural areas are central to the ambitions of their proposed biodiversity strategies. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is to be looked at as a key tool to reaching the EU’s Green Deal goal and is central to pushing local produce from ‘Farm to Fork’ and improving our ecosystem strategies (European Commission, 2021).

The intentions of the strategies are to secure future agriculture and forestry while achieving the EU’s Green Deal objectives; ensuring food security in the face of climate change and loss of biodiversity, reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system, strengthening the EU food system’s resilience and adaptability, and leading a global movement towards a more sustainable competitive economy promoting farm to fork initiatives (European Commission, 2021).

The EU 2030 Forest Strategy may be incorporated in combination with agricultural reform on the Maltese islands due to the limited forests and land available. This leads to the potential to blend and encourage agroforestry practices alongside an economy for Farm to Fork strategy implementation with carbon sequestration, soil and biodiversity protection and access at the heart of it. The project may underpin the strategies being introduced by the EU as a means of triggering a stronger understanding of our environment, providing accessibility and infrastructure across the island for recognition of local farmers, food, ecology and enhancing the quality of our surroundings through a series of sites and scaled interventions. Funding opportunities heighten the potentials amongst the EU to support transition to a sustainable agri-food system, enabling and accelerating a healthier environmentally friendly food system.

The protection of soil is also essential for an ecosystem that delivers valuable services such as the provision of food, energy, carbon sequestration, water purification, nutrient regulation, pest control, and support for biodiversity and recreation (European Commission, no date).

Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

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Maltese Strategies The islands face major issues in competition of land use due to their high density population and conflicting pressures on much of the used and disused agricultural land. Agroforestry may introduce a potential balance in the relationships between agriculture, forest structures and temporal relationships between agriculture, forest structures and temporal relationships between organisms and networks. As a tool for controlling carbon capture, stimulating microclimates and transforming the rural landscapes of the islands. These techniques may provide for tree and other crop products whilst protecting and diversifying economic, environmental, human and natural resources.

There is a lack of support for farmers to continue to share their intergenerational knowledge of adapted seeds and local produce which will lead to risks of insecurity. The island witnesses a lack of acknowledgement of the dependency of our farmers as custodians of our rural environment and biodiversity. It is important to promote beneficial techniques such as Agroforestry that focuses on both crops and trees as this allows for soil nutrients to be revitalised and provide a more balanced, dependent ecosystem. There is large segregation of ecological support within the urban areas, their integration is important to help different ecosystems and promote our collective stewardship.

The Carbon Strategy 2021 Malta, however, gives prioritisation on the involvement of commercial scale use of aquaponics-based food production in place of conventional agricultural production of 36% of fruit and vegetable. As sea levels rise, low-lying coastal areas are increasingly being inundated with saltwater, gradually increasing soil salinisation and impacting negatively most soil parameters (Government of Malta, 2021). Climate change can lead to soil erosion, reducing carbon stocks or carbon sequestration in soil. The strategy however, fails to acknowledge the importance of land use in Malta due to it’s small scale, and hence, the need for supporting farmers in order to care for our remaining soil (Government of Malta, 2021). This in turn, through the introduction of better practices, can help balance out soil erosion, water runoff and better microclimates within the regions of agricultural fields. Rather than prioritising the use of new technologies alone, the strategy fails to also give priority and focus to those caring for the land and initiatives to shift the local production to an entirely sustainable and supported industry. This will then feed into aiding pollination across the island and allowing forestry, agriculture and gardens to be a prioritisation for shifts we need to see across the island. Shifting to purely aquaponics techniques may be beneficial for the soil if left to regenerate, however, there are many more benefits both ecologically and socially to understanding the care and intimacy required when working directly with the land, soil and all its nutrients.

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Government of Malta, M. for the E. C. C. and P. (2021). Malta Low Carbon Development Strategy .

fig. 42: still from pine trees at jubilee grove afforestation project, pieta’ (personal still).

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“

Malta can be completely regenerated. We just need to store our water and dedicated the right micro-environments to different plants “ Emmanuela Degiorgio, Vegbox

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NGO Feedback Through a series of conversations with NGOs pushing for environmental stewardship, reclamation of agricultural land for young farmers and revitalisation of our endemic plant species, the project continues to discover the challenges faced first-hand. Following a series of conversations with NGOs such as Nature Trust Malta, Din L-Art Helwa, Majjistral Park, local ecologist, the curator of the only Botanical Research Centre on the island and the Vegbox, a local organic farmer support organisation, core underlying issues of environmental progress and land use across the island were identified.

There is a growing need for access, education, and incentives for more care for our environment across the island - forming part of the larger global conversation and opportunities for carbon capture. How may we incentivize more distribution and access to our local food and biodiversity? At present, there is limited exposure to distinguish local from foreign produce, limited to no access to seed banks providing a structural basis for sourcing endemic plants for gardens or farming and exposure to the diversity of our ecology on the island. Argotti Botanical Gardens Research Centre is the only national herbarium and botanical collection, only recently refurbished, with minimal available capital invested and inaccessible to the public. Green jobs are needed to work alongside farmers in exposing produce amongst the residents, means to encourage a cultural shift to collective responsibility and support for our rural and agricultural environments. The EU Green Deal aims to push carbon tax on importation and freight increase in rates, further induced by the pandemic.

How may this provide an opening in shifting the conversation away from cheaper foreign production to quality local produce, and hence less carbon emission in transport through importation?

As generations pass on, ecosystems encountered throughout their childhood become the new norm, whether highly depleted or not, an unfortunate reality described as the shifting baseline syndrome by Daniel Pauly. This perception allows for further loss of crops, diversity, and habitats across the globe, unless protected through generations of teaching and exposure to the availability of our past. Malta has also fallen into the same trap, as varieties of crops have been lost through time - crops whose seeds have over the years become more adapted to our climate and local conditions, more resiliently grown locally. If seeds and skills are not saved, passed down from generations, genetic diversity is lost, and secure healthy harvests become uncertain.

Local small-scale farmers are resulting in importing cheaper, foreign seeds which therefore require more water and different conditions to the adapted generational species that have grown to be resilient locally (Friends of the Earth Malta, 2020).

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Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

fig. 43: still of FORESTA 2000 afforestation project, land use competition (personal still).

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ECOSYSTEM & MALT

tradition:

pr

ŻNUBER

ALEPPO PINE TREE fruit: pine cones type: coniferous, evergereen tree properties: needle leaves dispersion: wind pollinated size: 15-25cm length, 60cm trunk

ĦARRUBA

CAROB TREE fruit: carrob pods type: evergreen tree properties: very fertile soil tradition: karamelli, gulepp use: horse or cow fodder size: 15m in 50 years

embodied carbon

Forest Ecosystem little runoff, erosion and nutrient losses from the system

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Agrofor

little runoff, erosion a

MS OF RELATIONS TESE ECOLOGY

LARINĠA

ORANGE TREE vegetable: potato type: root crop properties: originates from Italy or Spain harvesting: october-april

BIDNI

OLIVE TREE

fruit: olives : olive oil produced in the Roman period type: evergreen tree dispersion: wind pollinated roperties: small, fragrant flowers size: requires 3 metre deep soil harvest: september-november

PATATA

POTATO PLANT vegetable: potato type: root crop properties: period: British harvesting: march-june

SIĠRA TAT-TIN FIG TREE

fruit: fig tradition: dried or raw properties: indigenous harvesting: may - june period: neolithic QAQOĊĊ GLOBE ARTICHOKE PLANT vegetable: artichoke tradition: stuffed artichokes type: thistle-like plant properties: naturalised alien, 1492 flowering: march-june

BRUNĠIEL

AUBERGINE PLANT fruit: aubergine tradition: stuffed or baked properties: large leaves harvesting: all year round

restry Ecosystem

and nutrient losses from the system

aquifer

Agricultural Ecosystem severe runoff, erosion, and nutrient losses from the system

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cooking, experimentation

agroforestry, forestry

seed display, storage

seed exchange, share

retaining wall, foraging

collective dining

circulation

gathering, food production and display

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HM22 quarry, wied il-filep

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The HM22 quarry forms part of a collection of quarries and government land leased to Bloktrete Ltd, a local private concrete company. A restoration plan was set out for the owners and operators of the hardstone quarry as the quarries will be resored and developed for nature conservation purposes. The quarry is situated in Wied il-Filep (a valley) and has been excavated for 52 years for Lower Coralline Limestone. The quarry sits between the agricultural northern fields and a residential core, located right next to major faults and Victoria Lines. The area is located on the side of a valley, and has important landscape, ecological, geomorphological, and cultural heritage characteristics that call for a policy of restraint.

The Restoration Plan offered potential for habitat reconstruction and ecological restoration which could serve both for conservation and environmental awareness purposes. The vegetation assemblages are based on typical central Mediterranean low-lying habitats. Two main assemblages recommended for the site are: Sclerophyllous scrub and Temperate riverine brush.

Sclerophyllous scrub consists of evergreen shrub communities and assemplages typical of Mediterranean and warm-temperate humid localities. The Temperate riverine brush consists of tree and shrub vegetation of Mediterranean flood plain and temporary water course environments.

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cooking, experimentation

agroforestry, forestry

seed display, storage

seed exchange, share

retaining wall, foraging

collective dining

circulation

gathering, food production and display

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Ecologies for restoration plan: Sclerophyllous Scrub

Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

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Ecologies for restoration plan: Temperate Riverline Brush

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Galley, M., & Cavillon, D. (1983).

Imnarja, the Light Festival in Malta.

CNRS AV.

“

It is a symbol of the intricate system of interdependencies that sustains us. No being is insignificant in this Amazonian socio‑natural web of reciprocal relations.

ANA MARÍA DURÁN CALISTO

DURÁN CALISTO, A. M. (n.d.). Indigenous tree knowledges in Amazonia.

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“

fig. 44: rubble planter system, facing oven for cooking and agroforestry (persnoal render)

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fig. 45: elevated planters for growing produce in controlled soils and conditions (personal render).

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“

In times of climate change and uncertainty, to narrow diversity of seeds and crops is complete suicide.

“

In Our Hands Documentary

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Planel, S., & Barker, J. (2017). In Our Hands.

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Close up plan: collective experimentation, gathering and amphitheatre

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Close up plan: collective dining, planter pods and agroforestry.

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Close up plan: soil display, seed exchange and ubble system.

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Close up plan: farmers market, collective cooking and agroforestry.

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fig. 46: elevated planters for growing produce in controlled soils and conditions (personal render).

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fig. 47: embedded stairs for circulation across site and rubble sloped terracing incorporating wild plants such as fig trees and capers for forage.

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Foraging recipes

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Foraging recipes

fig. 48: edible wild plants, friends of the earth malta foraging guide.

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Sound References Sound Recordings, deep listening and sound pieces reflecting the layers of our landscapes and human engagement within forested woodlands, parks, and green spaces on the island are to be integrated within the development of the project. These recordings and pieces are to be used as a tool for redefining the boundaries of territories and depth of fields of the surroundings influence on a site. Understanding the relational disruption through sound aids in coordinating the importance of working together as a collective of assemblages for the salvation of our climate, natural resources, and environment. Issues of food security, loss of biodiversity and land development are overlapping issues which relate and must work together to influence a substantial shift or change.

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Narrative Theorizing a Vegetal Epistemology: Trees, Timber, and Temporality in Forest Under Story By Erik F.Ringle; The forest might not only be an archive of scientific knowledge; it might tell “lessons on how we might live”.

The critical role language plays in the mediation and generation of knowledge. There is a shared creativity of human and non-human agents and critical plant theorists examine the ways plants insinuate themselves into cultural discourse. Embedded into Western epistemologies of the natural world where plants continue to be situated at the bottom of a hierarchy of nature helping to justify this narrative of the vegetation as ‘insignificant other’ and justify domination of earth.

Hilgyard in The Second Body, tries to discover new ways of talking about the position of the human animal within local and global ecosystems. Often, ecologists are reluctant to discuss the human ‘habitats’ or our integrated role in an ecosystem. When the ‘natural’ habitats of animals come into contact with humans, they invaraibly are disturbed, changed or destroyed - humans are placed on top or outside of nature, understood through the etymology of relations.

Hilgyard writes: “To be an animal is to be in the possession of a physical body which can eat, drink and sleep; it is also to be integrated within a local ecosystem which overlaps with ecosystems which are larger and further away. To be a living thing is to exist in two bodies.”

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project references

fig. 49: always life invents, gilles clement

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deborance island, gilles clements

fig. 50: deborance island, gilles clements

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the planetary garden, gilles clements

fig. 53: the planetary garden exhibition

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fig.52: the planetary garden exhibiton

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fig. 53: the planetary garden exhibition

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fig. 54: the planetary garden exhibition

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fig. 55: wheatfield, a confrontation

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wheatfield - a confrontation, agnes denes

fig. 56: wheatfield, a confrontation

95

fig. 57: wheatfield, a confrontation

96

fig. 58: wheatfield, a confrontation

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“

the reattachment of stories and memories to food is important for biodiverstiy. heirloom crops play a central role in the restoration of ‘landscapes of remembrance’ virginia nazarea

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“

manifesta 12, palermo

fig. 59: “the planetary garden. cultivating coexistence”

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fig. 60: gilles clement

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miscellaneous

fig. 62: dining, emergence magazine

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fig. 63: oven burning, emergence magazine

102

fig. 63: framing landscapes, emergence magazine

103

“

The objective is to provide a package of interventions so that the whole area can flourish, boosting food security. “ Maria Sarraf

Pallares, G. (n.d.). Newly Seeded with 14 Billion Africas Great Green Wall to See Quicker Growth.

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the green wall

fig. 62: The Great Green Wall. (The Great Green Wall, n.d.-a)

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The Great Green Wall. (n.d.-a).

Https://Www.Greatgreenwall.Org/ about-Great-Green-Wall.

fig. 63: community contribution to the Great Green Wall projcet (The Great Green Wall, n.d.)

The Great Green Wall. (n.d.). Https:// Www.Treeaid.Org/Blogs-Updates/ Great-Green-Wall/.

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The objective was to stop creeping desertification through a transcontinental mosaic of green, productive landscapes that would fight land degradation and loss of biodiversity. a mission to restore degraded landscapes (Pallares, n.d.)

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Pallares, G. (n.d.). Newly Seeded with 14 Billion Africas Great Green Wall to See Quicker Growth.

fig. 64: water garden, junya ishigami (Junya Ishigami’s Water Garden - Is This Architecture?, n.d.).

Junya Ishigami’s Water Garden - Is this architecture? (n.d.).

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water garden, junya ishigami

fig. 65: water garden, junya ishigami (Junya Ishigami’s Water Garden - Is This Architecture?, n.d.).

109

Junya Ishigami’s Water Garden - Is this architecture? (n.d.).

fig. 66: mitigation of shock, singapore (Superflux, n.d.)

Superflux. (n.d.). Mitigation of Shock (Singapore).

Https://Superflux.in/ Index.Php/Work/Mitigation-of-ShockSingapore/#.

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mitigation of shock, superflux studio

fig. 67: mitigation of shock, singapore (Superflux, n.d.)

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Superflux. (n.d.). Mitigation of Shock (Singapore).

Https://Superflux.in/ Index.Php/Work/Mitigation-of-ShockSingapore/#.

bureau bas smets saint gilles parvis & garden for a tree nurserer

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bureau bas smets arles luma parc des ateliers

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OmVed Gardens

fig. 60: gilles clement

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fig. 59: “the planetary garden. cultivating coexistence”

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fig. 60: gilles clement

116

Cartographies of the Imagination

fig. 62: dining, emergence magazine

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118

film references

urbana natura: the brachen of berlin in our hands geocinema ryuichi sakamoto: coda conversations with matlese farmers cambio: formafantasma gather first we eat sower salt river, clara kraft isono wild plants seed: the untold story la quattro volte alpi, armin linke the gleaners and I, agnes varda Almost nothing by ana husman Wild Relatives by jumana manna

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tu crois que la terre est chose morte florence lazar

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121

122

urbana natura: the brachen of berlin sandra jasper & matthew gandy

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in our hands Sylvie Planel & Jo Barker

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125

126

wild relatives and foragers jumana manna

127

ryuichi sakomoto: coda doc’n roll films

128

the gleaners agnes varda

129

130

geocinema

131

conversations with maltese farmers friends of the earth malta

132

133

134

alpi armin linke

135

film & media development

fig. 68: collective gathering across the site, rubble systems and reed weaving.

136

fig. 69: drying vegetables and fruit alongside agroforestry practices.

137

fig. 70: reed weaving meets rubble wall slope systems.

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fig. 71: collective dining on fresh local produce.

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fig. 72: reed weaving meets rubble wall corridor and seating.

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fig. 73: agroforestry and rubble terracing.

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jumana manna

142

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appendix: interviews Nature Trust - FEE Malta Date: 19.11.2021 Interviewing: Vincent Attard, Executive President/CEO (VA) Interviewee: Julia Frendo (JF) JF: Hi, so just a quick introduction, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for your time. I am an architecture student; I did my undergraduate in Malta, and I moved to London to finish my masters at the Royal College of Art. For my final year project, I am looking at different means of carbon capture and specifically into Reforestation, Afforestation and Agroforestry as a potential means for carbon capture. Understanding the social, political, and ecological impacts of projects such as Reforestation projects on the island which is why I thought it would be interesting to reach out to the NGOs on the island that are on the ground working within the field. Maybe if you could discuss any issues or challenges you encounter in your projects?

VA: Okay, so we are working on two areas, firstly forestry which is rightly as you mentioned, and the other is that we are trying to make our projects as environmentally friendly as possible. One example is the Xrobb L-Ghagin Nature Park which today works almost entirely on clean energy, it has photovoltaic panels. We worked with architects and engineers, they are professors at the University of Malta, Professor Ruben Borg, he works on sustainable buildings and Professor Spiteri Staines from the engineering department. They advised us on this project where we installed photovoltaic panels, roof insulation and adding sun-pipes, improving its energy efficiency. Another project, we started by looking at our sewage treatment plant project from the past, it is a biological water treatment plant, we are using the sewage water for tree irrigation in the project, and we are catching the water from the roof which goes for services such as bathrooms and from the road which goes for tree planting. In most of our projects we are trying to show that sustainability is also possible, and it is possible to reduce our energy intensive facilities.

Another project is where we are setting up a wildlife rehab centre and again the seawater for the turtles is coming up through a seawater borehole and the advantage of this is that in winter when the sea temperature may be around 15-17 degrees, the borehole would usually keep it up to a temperature of 19 degrees, which helps in this way to reduce the demands on energy to heat the water.

With regards to forestry, we focus on reforesting in certain projects, such as the Xrobb L-Ghagin Park, where we have planted over 15,000 trees and shrubs over the last 10 years. We choose indigenous trees most of the time because these are adapted to our climate, and they don’t need a lot of water or energy to keep themselves going – we just care for them for the first 3 years and then they are able to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, those that die (as some do not make it), especially in this last year were a lot of trees, even older more established trees, have not survived the intensive heatwaves and increase in temperatures in most of Malta (however, not in our parks). In fact, some of these well-established trees were the Carob trees, Olive trees, trees that usually withstand drought, did not withstand the temperatures this year.

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Nature Trust - FEE Malta The biggest problem we have here, in Malta, is that first there is limited land use and space, so it is not easy to find forestry areas, the problem is that there is a demand for building everywhere were there is land, rather than forestry. The other problem is that unused quarries are still private land and so, although we have been asking government to consider taking up filled up quarries that could then be turned into afforestation projects – which has been a big problem because they are private land and must be bought. There is also the problem with Lands Department which is not up to date in trying to find which are public land and which is not. Nature Trust are often ending up in a competition between the NGOs, government and other entities in trying to find land to implement Afforestation projects. The Lands Department is then very slow at informing us on which plots may be used.

We have also seen an uninformed or educated decision on afforestation projects being proposed on the island in cases such as the Nwadar Park Afforestation Project. There is a big problem with this project because they firstly haven’t done a study of the trees that can be planted in the habitat, if you see Xrobb L-Ghagin through experience, trees that are not strong enough to withstand strong winds will not survive the conditions.

JF: Yes, a good understanding of the characteristics of the species and habitat conditions is understandably necessary. Who would you work with within these Afforestation projects to better understand the conditions of the site? Who would be your consultants?

VA: We have worked with consultants such as Louis Cassar, people who are experts at University teaching Earth Sciences and with them we check the soil quality, the climate of the site, what winds effect the place and if it is open to sea spray for example, because then you can gradually start designing the way the place should be reforested or intervened on. It’s not necessarily just about planting trees, as the questions on what types of trees may survive in such reforestation projects is important to curate and look at the potentials of the site. Normally, in coastal areas the first row of trees would typically be the Maltese Salt Trees and the Tamarisk Trees which can withstand strong winds and sea spray. They love salt as a tree, they don’t grow high, but they are good for those conditions. Then inner land, you can start gradually changing to pine trees, but then for example in such exposed areas, Carob trees don’t survive because they are trees for valley systems. Alternatives are also Ash or Poplar trees, which want very humid conditions and work best for valley beds – one must really plan it out and understand the conditions they are working within.

Another example of the issues with the Nwadar project is that they are looking at it as just wasteland, when Garigue is for us ecologists a very important habitat. It is a habitat that looks dry, but it houses plants and species that are adapted for very high temperatures in summer and rough, windy temperatures in winter. The vegetation strives on through very difficult conditions, here you find the thyme, the asphodel and many adapted vegetation grasses. Unfortunately, although they are very hardy plants, the garigue is a very sensitive habitat and once disturbed you can lose out entirely on garigue habitats. We lose on thyme and most of the plants there which are good for the honeybee, good to prevent soil and rock erosion because their roots are deeply embedded into the soil in the area. In the Nwadar project they are even thinking of

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Nature Trust - FEE Malta

“

The other problem is that unused quarries are still private land and so, although we have been asking government to consider taking up filled up quarries that could then be turned into afforestation projects – which has been a big problem because they are private land and must be bought.

Vincent Attard

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“

Nature Trust - FEE Malta

“

The biggest problem we have here, in Malta, is that first there is limited land use and space, so it is not easy to find forestry areas, the problem is that there is a demand for building everywhere were there is land, rather than forestry. “ Vincent Attard

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Nature Trust - FEE Malta putting soil on garrigue and planting trees which is not the right was to go about it.

For Malta it is not an easy task, because when you look at these problems and there’s isn’t any information on what public land can be taken up for reforestation, other areas that are garigue that cannot be taken up for afforestation and sometimes we see that the wrong trees are being planted in the wrong places, resulting in a waste of resources and money.

If you look at then trying to keep a tree that is not good for that habitat, with the number of bowsers to go and water it, to keep it alive, it is useless and a waste. Therefore, one must find an economically viable solution for these projects – nature gives us these solutions, they just need to be understood and implemented in the right manner. Otherwise, the work is redundant/fruitless.

Even some projects which we have locally on afforestation, unfortunately, when it comes to the public entities, they plant them, give them water for a couple of months and then nobody fends for them. When here, with the local temperatures, climate change which has now brought about extreme weather conditions, if we don’t maintain the trees then we will obviously not have a good result. We can’t afford to just water them for the first few months and then leave them, they won’t survive. Sometimes you hear of projects of tree-planting in the months of April to September, these are the worst months to plant a tree, (as we know as an NGO, through experience). If you plant them during the wet season, it is going to establish itself, it will have a start off into its life and more secure basis – but if planted in a drought area where it needs constant water and is fighting for water while still young then the survival rate will be less than 30 or 40%. Whereas if planted between September-January then the survival rate will go up to 7580%. In Summer we never plant trees.

JF: Do you see any conflicting issues in Malta with regards to water scarcity and these afforestation projects? It seems to be used as a tool to combat against these projects and their impact on the island. Do you see it as a viable reason to be pushing against these reforestation projects?

VA: When you are establishing forestry in an area you need a lot of water, of course. There is a solution which is now possible – as you may know, Malta is now introducing second class water from sewage treatment. Therefore, rather than trying to get borehole water or extract water from our water reserves, I would rather, if I were the authorities, make the second-class water available within the areas were afforestation projects are being introduced. In this way you are not actually causing a demand on our water resources, and you are reducing on transport of water which emits carbon and other factors, pumps and so on. These are issues one must keep in mind. Another issue is the type of trees - if the type of trees you are planting require more water, then it defeats the scope as our months are becoming drier and trees that can survive the drought are needed.

JF: Yes. I was also, looking at the land use on the island and a big percentage now is arable land.

This then led more to look further into Agroforestry as a means of carbon capture. Have you come across this practice being discuss within the work that you do or potential integration into your projects or initiatives? VA: We are in fact trying to make farmers head in that direction. If

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Nature Trust - FEE Malta VA: We are in fact trying to make farmers head in that direction. If you look at other islands, such as Cyprus or Crete, for example, they have a lot of contracts with olive oils, something which Malta had in the past.

JF: Yes, in fact, in my research I was developing a greater understanding into the shift in produce on the island in accordance with past civilisations and our colonisers. I know we did in the past have a lot of olives, cotton and spices in particular – different kinds of produce which we lost or moved away from over the years.

VA: Yes, we are trying to revamp this mentality. Through our programme with “Ecoskola” (Ecoschools), we are discussing Agroforestry projects, where produce can be made with olive oil, olives, herbs. We have youth centres for example Wardija, where we are introducing a sense of entrepreneurship in growing herbs, packing and selling them. We are also working with MCAST and working within the Agrobusiness Departments to help discuss these things which may help push the idea of Agroforestry. In Malta, the agricultural industry is dying, many farmers are giving up – both because of climate change, pressures of development and rather than giving up – they may even start to change the way they are working today. In some cases, you don’t need a lot of water if you grow the right trees, then it is a minimum demand of water once they establish themselves and there still is a produce coming in. In the past, even in Roman times, a former PHD student in Forestry told me that they had found out that during the Roman Empire olives from Malta were ordered to go to Rome because they were very good. So, I believe, we can have the structure to do this.

JF: Yes, interesting. And I think looking into the Mediterranean Basin in itself, agroforestry is a very popular means of using the land – and looking at other case studies within similar climate it’s easy to feel like Malta can implement the same initiatives. From what I have researched, we only produce 20% of the food needed to feed our population.

VA: Yes, and there is another advantage to agroforestry, you have to keep in mind that when we have the flood falls, only 16% is retained by land. This is a figure I read from the water services corporation; the rest is lost to sea. A recent example was in recent events when Malta had very heavy rain showers. Mellieha was flooded and you could see lots of soil being dragged along these strong currents. If there were Agroforestry projects introduced in the area, these would bind the soil better and we wouldn’t be having the same issues we are now with regards to losing rubble walls and soil because trees help it be retained. Also, the more soil absorbs water the more it is going to charge the aquifers. I think what we need in Malta is a National Strategy to think these things out – every sector or ministry is thinking on its own wave – there is no holistic parallel approach between all. The planning industry and the agricultural industry and anything else can contribute to each other and help.

One example which we have noted was how building and development has continued to impact and enhance the water run-off levels. A perfect example is the nature reserve near University, Wied Gholieqa, where we planted 1000s of trees as part of an Afforestation project but now,

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In Malta, the agricultural industry is dying, many farmers are giving up – both because of climate change, pressures of development and rather than giving up – they may even start to change the way they are working today. “ Vincent Attard

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Nature Trust - FEE Malta we are facing a new problem with the development of the Mater Dei Hospital which replaced fields in the area. The water run-off has now largely increased and is bringing down rubble walls, dragging a lot of soil and other rubble material into the valley bed and causing more damage than good. We are now even looking at introducing adaptations, such as dams in the valley bed to help the water recharge and slow down the currents of water. Sometimes you need to introduce adaptive measures because of other negative measures impacting the landscape through development and plots of agricultural land.

JF: And would these projects be mostly funded by the government, or do you generally work off EU funding instead?

VA: Both. Some of the sites which we manage, those which are Natura 2000 sites or sites of scientific conservation value – we get some funding from government, not as much as we need as every site on average costs us around 50-80,000 euros a year to manage: patrolling, repair rubble walls, plant trees, water the trees, maintain footpaths and removing alien species. Alien species are even more of a problem today, one of the challenges we have is that invasive alien species, because of climate change, are growing and taking over local trees. An example of this is the balloon vine, one of the worst invasive species we have, alongside the castor oil tree that will kill any other tree trying to survive near it. These can quickly take over an entire habitat. We also find, unfortunately, the prickly pear which many believe it to be indigenous, but it isn’t, in fact it is an American cactus and if it is not controlled then it can wipe out entire forestry areas. With Gholieqa, apart from the issues of heavy water runoff – we are also fighting a lot of invasives where seeds do not necessarily come from the area but are dragged from the water currents from upper San Gwann and surrounding localities and end up in this valley. Here, they find the soil, grow and they start to suffocate other trees such as the Poplar, the Ash tree, the Carob tree and so it is an ongoing process. Something we are trying to implement and find a local expert on is finding a local calculator of carbon sequestration for each type of tree. Many use a global calculator but then each tree in it’s own way has its own carbon sequestration levels – a Pine tree might be different from a Carob tree and Carob tree from a Poplar tree. We are trying to find experts who can inform us into finding out which tree species partake in more carbon sequestration rates, to help start understanding and being more informed in comparisons between the species.

Another very good sequestration plant is a marine plant, the Posidonia meadows, which is also very sensitive to pollution. It grows along the coast because being a flowering plant it needs to grow in shallowing waters, not more than 35cm/m deep. It also absorbs carbon from the sea but because of over-development within coastal areas it is finding a lot of pollution and dying out. We are seeing a large degradation of the Posidonia meadows due to pollution, anchorage and again we are also losing a carbon sequestration plant at marine level.

JF: For your projects, do you also receive funding for their potential means of carbon capture as well?

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Nature Trust - FEE Malta VA: No, because so far, we are working a lot on restoration projects. So, we are getting funding from both EU, the private and government. For example, right now we are working on a project related to the freshwater crab – studying the breathing behaviour and the habitat – because even if we were to save the freshwater crab, the habitat needs to also be saved. We are looking at these valley streams and the impacts that they are having, for example: loss of trees, herbicides, or pesticides because we must also restore the habitat for the crab to remain alive. We are looking at how to restore the valley and improve carbon sequestration to make the habitat even better and maintain it’s biodiversity.

We have funding on education level. We are introducing 5 summits with Ecoskola which is funded by the British Government, focusing on climate change and transport, climate change and sustainable consumption, climate change water and energy – going into these topics with children. Children are then learning about these topics and then the debate will open to what children can do to help mitigate these problems.

We need forestry but honestly what would our impact be on a global level? We are too small to really make an impact, what trees can do is of course improve the air quality here because they absorb some of the carbon that traffic produces. Another carbon emitter are the ships, something we have been talking with government on looking at our maritime fleets, cruise liners, fishing boats, leisure boats. We must look into how we may adapt to these changes and to mitigate these problems as well.

JF: Of course, I don’t imagine that even if we were to reforest the whole island, of course it still is a very small scale within the global impact – it is more looking at issues such as food security, drought and depletion of our ecosystems.

VA: Yes, and their other things which we’ve been recommending to government, for example, green roofs, why would we waste our roofs? It is a space that can be used to put up green roofs.

They help in keeping temperatures maintained within the building, they are making a greener environment, they are sequestrating carbon from the air, and they don’t need a lot of water if the right plants are planted. Soft landscaping around buildings and using indigenous plants to reduce water consumption – these are things we have been proposing to the government with regards to simple but effective carbon sequestration issues.

Unfortunately, in Malta we have this habit of pouring concrete everywhere but not soil. Trees and their integration into our urban landscape are seen as a taboo in Malta.

JF: Yes, we have a terrible relationship with our landscape. I think that is where the educational aspect of your work will start to see the biggest impact.

VA: We are also started a project with the Minister of the Environment where we are going to give grants to schools to make Greenhouses so that children can start growing trees and shrubs from local seeds, which Nature Trust Malta will provide them. The idea is that the students will

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...another advantage to agroforestry, you have to keep in mind that when we have the flood falls, only 16% is retained by land.

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Unfortunately, in Malta we have this habit of pouring concrete everywhere but not soil. Trees and their integration into our urban landscape are seen as a taboo in Malta.

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grow them for their local community. It is a means of trying to green the towns and villages.

Abroad they even have competitions on the best green road whereas here it is something that very few people think about.

It is a bit sad, but on an island where we have a lot of emissions coming from transport, we should start thinking of these kinds of small interventions which may not cost much but they may be effective JF: Yes, and every little help. Even just the shift in the relationship we build and have with trees.

VA: Yes, and as an NGO we are also trying to link up environment with economy. For example, we are working on projects such as one where we collaborated with the Minister of Tourism authority for every couple that came to Malta to get married, we would plant a tree and then the couple with likely come again in a few years’ time to see the tree. The environment can work towards economic gain. We are working on blind people guided tours. The Northern tourists ask for tours in our wild areas as they like to come and see the Mediterranean habitat.

JF: Ecotourism, agrotourism is very popular in other ends of the Mediterranean and if you go to places like Southern Italy, it is a large part of their economic stream and income.

VA: Yes, and we also have a youth hostel in Xrobb L-Ghagin Park, we use it for children who come for overnight stays to see the bats at night, hedgehogs, and biodiversity. In Summer we also get a few tourists coming to stay in the Nature Park for a few days, open for ecological tours.

JF: I’ve come across this before. In fact, these are tools for economic growth through more environmental awareness and beneficial projects – it’s just not made so accessible on the islands.

The investment is what is needed to be able to pick it up, push it forward and to form a stronger part of the economy.

VA: The other problem I see is that certain nurseries grow the easiest trees which you cannot do on a National Level because for example, the Oak tree is very easy to grow but not everywhere can take Oak – if it is an exposed Coastal area, you need Tamarisk trees, which are less popular but needed. It is useless planting trees which aren’t adapted to the conditions of the site. Planning is also needed.

JF: Okay, very interesting work you are doing. Thank you for your time!

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Din L-Art Helwa – Majjistral Park Date: 19.11.2021 Interviewing: Darren Saliba, Site Manager (DS) Interviewee: Julia Frendo (JF) JF: So you manage the Majjistral Park and I read that was the first National Nature Reserve/ Park. There seemed to be quite a lot of challenges faced with converted the area into a park, could you discuss this a bit more please?

DS: Yes, the plan and intentions of the government was to convert it into a golf course back in 2006. Then Din L-Art Helwa and a group of other NGOs started lobbying to set up a park and in 2008 the park was set up and a management agreement was signed to help set up the Park Federation. This is made up of 3 NGOs; mainly Din L-Art Helwa, Gaia Foundation and Nature Trust who then started managing the site. We are still managing it now.

JF: And do you get funding from the government to do so? The EU? What are the main streams of funding for these parks?

DS: Yes, we get an annual grant from the government which is around 70,000 euros per year – they gave us that amount in the first year and have continued too ever since. It is not much and most of our income then comes from donations and activities which we organise.

JF: Okay, and it is not much because of maintenance, irrigation.

DS: Well, with 70,000 euros you only get a couple of employees on the ground, and it is a large site, 2.5square km. So, the money is not enough to have a good workforce to be able to implement all our plans. Through the government grant we manage to employ around 5 employees who are mostly part-time whereas the rest are employed through funds from donations. We have another 3 employees who we employ through donations from companies or the public and we employee these 3 rangers to help manage the site.

JF: And, I know there has been hunting seasons in the area, do you feel that has impacted the site?

DS: Well, hunting was practiced in the area before the park was set up. It was practiced in the area for many years, the British used to make use of the area as a training ground. I believe it all depends on personal perception of hunting. Hunting is allowed on Natura 2000 sites, all over the world, so there isn’t anything wrong with having hunting on a Natura 2000 site. The only issue in Malta is our size and when there is a mix of uses which are conflicting, mainly walking and the recreational use of the park alongside hunting. Similarly, the way people see hunting in Malta. It is a very small island so you can’t really find any areas without any form of hunting.

At least in the park it is limited till 12:30 in the afternoon and till 10:00 on public holidays and Sundays, while trapping is allowed till 2:30pm – so at least there is a bit of leeway. Ideally, there isn’t any hunting, to allow for other activities, but that is a bit of a difficult thing to achieve

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Din L-Art Helwa – Majjistral Park because hunting has a strong lobby in Malta, and they usually manage to get their way.

JF: I guess if it is controlled are maybe it’s the only way to achieve a balance.

DS: We need to find a balance between these activities. The negative thing about hunting then is the way hunters see the land that they use for hunting – they see it as if it is their land to claim. Sometimes they see people walking in the area as a nuisance or bothering them and that is where the conflict starts.

JF: I wanted to also find out more about the countryside of the island, forestry and maybe what it means to achieve the Natura 2000 title on these sites? Do we have a lot of other Natura 2000 sites?

DS: We have around 35 sites in Malta. They were classified as Natura 2000 when forming part of the EU, as part of the programme was that Malta was required to identify and propose areas to be listed as Natura 2000. Before we got into the EU these sites were proposed and accepted.

The area of the park is one of the largest areas of our Natura 2000 sites as it also extends beyond the park. It covers the coastal areas between Benghajsa in Birzebuggia up to Cirkewwa – across L-irdumijiet ta’ Malta (Maltese Coastal Cliffs). It is important for it’s landscape value, the species which you find, the ecology and it’s uses. In the park itself, as Natura 2000, we have 13 habitats which are listed in the NX1 Habitats – which are very important habitats, mainly garigue, but there are also the Clay Slopes that borders the area, the sand dunes of Golden Bay and the beach habitat. Then areas which are closer to the shore which are lower lying areas which are mainly coastal habitats – for a general overview of what the habitats are.

The park has around 450 plant species which we identified, 18 are endemic to the Maltese islands. Anything else you may be interested in finding out more about?

JF: For my research I am particularly interested in looking into Reforestation and Agroforestry schemes and any potentials within those streams when looking at the island? Any issues with regards to these projects? I was thinking because of the amount of land use for agricultural land on the island that we have both used and disused, that maybe those could be looked at through the lens of understanding Agroforestry – a combination of forestry and agriculture. Have you come across any discussions on it, any issues with regards to its implementation on the island?

Also, to look at potentials for Carbon Capture and use as an alternative stream of funding for the island as well.

DS: As such I can discuss with you our planting proposals. With regards to Agroforestry, I’m not as informed but as an overview of what we did in the past and what plans we have for the future for the park, we have identified areas which were degraded mainly – which didn’t have any problem finding. When we started managing the park it was a mini dumpsite, completely destroyed. One of the first projects we started was in Xaghla l-Hamra, close to the Manikata Church – there is a large area which was used as a dumpsite, we cleared it, removed dumping from the site and cleared some topsoil and started the Afforestation. The area holds around

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Din L-Art Helwa – Majjistral Park 6000 species, different species of indigenous plants which are synonymous of the habitats of the area. That was one of our first projects. Now we are working on two different areas, as well as Xaghla l-Hamra, because planting is still ongoing in the area. We don’t plant an area all at one go, we plant it seasonally – a little bit every year – also to allow for a difference in growth rate and a more natural look of afforesting. We are working on two other sites; Nahhalija, close to the Radisson Hotel, it is an area where it was mainly used for agriculture previously but then the fields were abandoned and left fallow. We are replanting trees over there as there is a very good soil depth.

JF: And how did you find the soil nutrients? As after agricultural use of a land, it seems that the soil is often depleted from nutrients for replanting and revitalising the land.

DS: It was left fallow for many years, so the soil wasn’t really depleted anymore. There was plant coverage. Plants which we also propagate and plant ourselves. We use a lot of compost and mulching, so if the soil is depleted, we help the plants in surviving and we give them nutrients when watering. Watering sometimes starts as early as march April and keeps going on till October November and so most of the year we are watering the plants.

JF: Yes, which also brings me to the question on water scarcity on the island – of course this is quite conflicting.

DS: Yes, water scarcity and rain scarcity. Then you have to balance things out. What we are trying to do is get hold of the secondary water which the government has been supplying to farmers as well. We are working on that; we still have some work to do but it is planned that we are going to get access to this to the park as well. A lot of planting which we use, are not always the same, there are areas which we planted as a means of for the sake of having them on site.

The recreation of specific habitats is our other method, which is going on in Nahhalija. When we do this, we initially see what the prominent habitat in the surrounding area is, identify which species are most advantageous and we plant similar or the same plants in these areas. This is to help support habitats and aid degrade spaces to be managed better.

JF: And what kind of habitats are these usually? As you mentioned earlier, Garrigue might be one of them.

DS: Yes and in fact garrigue is a general example of the Maltese ecosystem or habitats when in fact you have these specific species of plants which then create the different kinds of garrigue habitats.

There are those that are mainly colonised by thyme or others with “fula tal-klieb” or “gharghar”, plants in the area would classify a habitat accordingly. We are also trying to reintroduce some species which historically had been recorded but now are no longer applied as over time they may have been cut down for wood or for economic reasons.

JF: Yes, in fact I read up that many years ago the entire island was mostly forested.

DS: Yes, before man arrived on the island it was mainly forested.

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JF: It was interesting to read up about the produce and planting shifts according to who might have colonised us at the time and their priorities for what we grow. I feel like we’ve lost that a bit now, for example we no longer export our olive oil. Maybe this is a missed opportunity, what are your thoughts on pushing eco-tourism or alternative funding?

DS: It is actually picking up more momentum at the moment. There are a couple of farmers going into agro-tourism and eco-tourism, for example Merill Ecotools. We are also doing a bit of it ourselves as we produce our own olive oil as well. What is missing in the olive oil industry is having our maltese olive being planted rather than the imported foreign varieties.

JF: Like the Bidni Olive in fact.

DS: Yes. With regards of exporting to other countries, I think that might be a bit difficult because of the amount we press as an island and probably other olive oils are a lot cheaper because they would have larger amounts. This might be a bit too competitive.

JF: That is true. Have you also worked on the FORESTA 2000 reforestation project? Maybe you could guide me through the benefits and works done in the project?

DS: Birdlife would give you more information on this because I wasn’t involved myself.

JF: Okay, thank you. From other interviews I had they mentioned having issues finding land to reforest, agriculture and so on. How did you find this process?

DS: For me this was not an issue as with regards to Majjistral Park as when we started managing it, Lands Authority gave us a map of the uses and what there was in the park and so we had a clear idea of the areas and what we had available. The problem which I find is the way agricutlure is being treated in Malta and the aid they are getting from lets say ARPA, the agency for farmers.

There is a bit of a problem because they subsidise farmers for tilling their land. In the park we are having a problem because we have third parties, coming to the park and finding fallow land, coming and ploughing it and registering on their name so that they get subsidised but they don’t really own the land. This causes a huge issue as parcel of land that has been fallow for 5-10 years which slowly regenerating by itself and then when it gets ploughed all of a sudden, you lose all of the species you had on the land. For what? For nothing. And when you start pressing on these issues, you end up in a bureaucratic loop through Lands and then politics makes it very difficult to resolve the issue. There is a lack of awareness and education within the ministries to tackle this.

JF: I see, awareness and understanding. Do you have any recommendations to close things up, on ecologists to speak to or readings to look up regarding the ecosystems we have on the island please?

DS: Yes, there is this book called “Sigar Maltin” which is really helpful. Also, I would recommend looking Stephen Mifsud is very knowledgeable about local ecology. There is not much published actually about these things locally. It might also be very helpful to speak to farmers or local olive

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oil producers.

With regards to farming, if you are interested in organic farming? Vegbox would also be very helpful. Our way of tilling land locally, we till everything it’s very unhealthy. Our land is very small so probably a farmer would prefer a field full of produce than trees to help the environment as in the case of Agroforestry, unfortunately.

JF: Yes, then it might be a reason to become more aware of the environmental benefits and the government subsidising and incentivising this.

DS: Yes and in fact there are subsidies by ARFA for planting trees and other benefits. Worth having a look at the website and what they are doing.

JF: Okay, perfect. Thank you very much! Helpful to know the ins and out.

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Vegbox Malta Date: 10.01.2022 Interviewing: : Emmanuela Degiorgio, Founder (MD) Guest Interviewer: Guest (G) Interviewee: Julia Frendo (JF) MD: In Malta a lot of people grow, there are a lot of farmers, of course not as many as there used to be and it is very difficult to find people who want to become farmers. And we want farmers, not only to grow food for us but also to take care of the landscape and the soil. Also, to do projects like you mentioned, agroforestry. The problem is that because foreign foods are cheaper, often supermarkets get better prices, so they are obviously going to supply for Sicily, from Holland or Spain. 20% of food consumption is very little. I’m currently writing an article about how the Maltese need to start revaluing Maltese food to continue encouraging the farmers to farm because there are farmers really trying to farm but if you don’t keep or start buying their produce but if you’re not going to buy their produce they won’t continue one day. So, you need to see which produce at the supermarket is local and ask them to get local produce.

JF: Yes, and I think there is a growing demand for organic produce too, it just might not seem very accessible as it is.

MD: Yes, but it is. And the thing is people want to farm, they want to farm well but then they find it hard to sell it at the premium price that it would be valued at because it is better.

JF: Yes, and one of the NGOs I spoke to then also mentioned the mismanagement with subsidise, for example encouraging tilling which can also be very disruptive and damaging for the soil and hence produce. And issues with farmers claiming land to ensure the subsidies, exploiting soil for nothing.

MD: Yes, there is a lot of that. What I believe is, like the parties go round each locality during elections, they should do the same to source farmland, to map out what is used and disused. I would focus on the North preferably.

JF: Yes, in fact I was going to ask. In the south, or more urbanised areas, like Pieta’, Sliema etc. there doesn’t seem to be much agricultural land or farms, is this because of the kind of soil available?

MD: No, of course that is because there aren’t any fields really left anymore because of all the development. But they can grow in those areas they’ve just been prioritised for building. If you look on the map it hugs around the urban residential area mostly. In an ideal situation I would hope that there would be more places like the Farmoury and the Vegbox throughout the West, Central and South part of the island. This would help people go out and have access to circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and second-hand clothes.

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Vegbox Malta JF: Yes, and I wanted to ask whether you’ve seen any major shifts or changes with the residents around the Farmoury since you set up?

MD: I see some residents but still the hardcore ones who really appreciate our food that have been coming for 8 years to me, since when I had the Vegbox at Villa Bologna. I am still trying to build a better relationship with the residents of Manikata, in fact, I set up a page residents of Manikata and I want to start a project with them for their compost. We can turn their compost in fertiliser and then that product we make from their compost can be given to the farmers around the area to grow produce for them. I’m trying to come up with my strategy for this year and you’ve reminded me to invite the residents of Manikata for an open day here to learn. The biggest thing, as I was saying, is to get people to buy Maltese produce so that more people are willing to take care of the land. For example, Lucas an organic farmer who works with us, he is young and certified organic two years ago. He is 28 years old, and he has two brothers who he is trying to help convince to switch organic too.

JF: And does he come from a family of generations of farmers?

MD: Yes, his family are all farmers before, but he came back in to farming. How important it is that people keep farming.

G: Yes, but now the situation, even more as the prices have skyrocketed because of freight tax. Before everyone was importing, now with freight taxes, it’s not worth importing anymore.

Freight is exploding, it’s much more worth it to buy local. For local farmers this is much better.

MD: So local produce is becoming more and more worth it?

G: Because importation costs exploded because of COVID. MD: So, are prices in the supermarkets going up? Have they?

G: Well, they will in the next year surely.

JF: I mean, everything should start to increase in price if you start to add on carbon tax on imports.

MD: Because we are saying how important it is that people continue to farm even to take care of the land. Because for example, Mary and Adrian who farm for us, don’t only do it to produce but also to take care of the land, keep it tidy.

G: Of course, exactly.

MD: They still till though.

G: Now it’s even more important to have local produce.

JF: Would there be risk then that this could increase demand but put more pressure on our soils

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MD: Well, there is a lot of land which is not being used already. That’s another issue, abandoned agricultural fields. Therefore, I mentioned the allocation and understanding what land is left disused so that we can encourage the reuse by new or other farmers in ideally an organic way, without tilling.

G: Yes, and now we have a lot less farmers.

MD: I know, but we need to have more willing farmers to get involved. We are here, at the Vegbox, because we want young farmers to be aware that we are willing to sell their produce if they want to try and grow organically. We are mostly focused on not using pesticides, but the young generations need to understand it and the people need to know and want. And instead of buying organic from foreign industries, you buy locally. It’s harder for sure, instead of 10 cabbages you get 2 but then those 2 you don’t sell them for 20c, you sell them at 2 euros.

G: Yes, but then it’s difficult, you need to see who is willing to buy them for 2 euros.

MD: Yes, but there we go. If people spend less on shopping, second hand shopping and not first hand which is already very expensive and spend their money better.

JF: It’s about understanding the chain of events and actions.

MD: Yes, it is a chain of events. It’s about educating and being more conscious.

JF: There also ends up with the issues of demand, people wanting produce which is out of season.

MD: People have no idea about what is in season or not.

G: Then there is the problem of rain and lack of rain.

MD: Yes, that for example brings me to water capture. I am looking for funding for water capture from my roof, but the government does incentivise this. It’s a loss because it would reduce pressure on them for supply. One day we should have a debate here, a discussion.

JF: Yes, I was thinking how important have talks and events to bring awareness on these topics are.

MD: I’ll invite people for these discussions here.

JF: I think they’re the best way to engage and branch out outside of the usual crowds interested.

MD: I believe that if the northern region becomes sustainable, we should just do it.

JF: And then the rest can pick up and learn from it.

MD: And that is why the land needs to be mapped out, agricultural land that is government owned or not.

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Vegbox Malta Like we have a field nearby which a man comes to till purely for the subsidies and won’t give it up. I have tried to get it.

JF: Yes? And land is very difficult to get here now, with developments happening everywhere, there’s a lot of money to be gained.

MD: Yes, but they can’t even develop the land because it’s actually government owned. He only registered recently when I started to show interest in the land, and he hasn’t used it since. He only wants to get the money from it. They don’t even get the concept of carbon sequestration.

They are a generation of misinformed farmers, their farmers used to be organic like us, but then after the war a lot of industrial equipment and pesticides were introduced.

The worst thing was round up locally, which used to kill weeds and be used in the fields but is not used any more because it was cancerous. This is only used locally on roundabouts.

I honestly believe Malta can be a microcosm of everything organic and then scaled up taking example globally.

JF: Yes, it can be a good testing ground. The scale and density of people living on the island make suitable to test these things out and then scale it up.

MD: Malta can be completely regenerated. We just need to store our water and dedicated the right microenvironments to different plants. For example, cotton and hemp used to be grown here. We should be focusing on hemp and export hemp. In Malta, if we grow a carrot, we’re not going to export that carrot, it’s not worth it. So we either need to grow and focus on those plants like hemp, which we can then export, or else grow produce and sell it locally.

JF: In fact, I’ve done a lot of research on the different produce we used to grow and export over the years. I read a lot about farming that exploited the land till it became uninhabitable. We used to grow so much, cotton, even export our Maltese Bidni olive oil to the Romans.

MD: Exactly, I believe if we localise everything it would be good.

JF: It can make a huge difference. I was looking at the Carbon Strategy locally, and their main argument was to introduce Aquaponics. Why? MD: Because something new and exciting sounds better. To breed fish and grow stuff in the water, which would make sense if we didn’t have the land, but we have the land. The difference is that with these technologies you won’t have to work as hard. The technologies shouldn’t be the focus, the social and economic understanding is important.

JF: Exactly, and then the benefits for the soil and ecosystems all fall in line.

MD: In Malta we have a full year, we don’t have any season when we don’t grow anything at all. In Summer, the problem is that we usually have fruits, however, unfortunately we’re finding less stone fruit which comes from trees. People aren’t taking care of their trees. Then in July and August we

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Vegbox Malta have everything in the fields which you planted in end of May, June. You don’t plant in July, August but you harvest. You can harvest aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, and all those for the market.

JF: Yes, bell peppers are all year round, right?

MD: No, only because they grow in a greenhouse. In a greenhouse it is different.

JF: Okay, but still locally.

MD: Yes, locally. So, do you need to find an area as a testing ground?

JF: Well, I’m still figuring out the whole brief and researching more about the context.

MD: I would look at the several layers of time locally and how it’s changed over the years. Get to the maps and understand the conditions.

JF: The end, is to depict a film that extracts the narratives of variations of scales of interventions.

These ideas need to be more accessible and distributed within the urban and for residents to have a better understanding of what is available. Introduce a cultural understanding and collective awareness.

MD: Yes, a collective responsibility. The problem is the green jobs needed to make those things happen. To make a market happen once a week, you need people working on these things. The farmers can’t themselves, unless there is a small organisation that can do it alongside other events. The farmers are busy on the fields. They need to be making enough money to hire people and people must be willing to do these kinds of jobs.

JF: I think that is why it’s important to look at things like carbon tax and trying to encourage or incentivise buying local.

MD: Of course, there should be a tax from imports.

JF: I guess then that goes against what the EU stands for, free trade.

MD: Exactly, and that is why a lot of farmers were against joining the EU. There also needs to be more ways for the locals to bring their compost to these hubs, to turn into compost for surrounding gardens and release some of the pressure from the government.

JF: Yes, it’s interesting because a lot of these issues are very much policy based. We are trying to ask how we can have a spatial influence on that. The soil locally isn’t as dried out as people make it out to be.

MD: Not at all, really and truly it just needs some time to rest. Stop tilling it, if it’s made into permanent beds, you add compost, it creates spaces for the micro enzymes to regenerate the soil and nutrients. I do see hope though. for example, a few years ago, the field in front of us was only used for wheat.

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Vegbox Malta It was empty for two years, and now they plant wheat. The other was passed on to his nephew and his son also gets involved and helps to grow broccoli, lettuce and not just wheat for the animals, then that is already a step forward. In fact, I was asked this on a tv program, do you ever give up? Sometimes do you feel helpless? Well, if I feel that then I don’t know what else to do. I can’t ignore that things need to be done, but there is hope. The problem is people need to react.

JF: Yes, of course. It would be interesting to also investigate organising an exhibition or host an event.

MD: One day we could host a discussion here, if you’re interested. Have a debate with farmers, introduce the ideas.

JF: The idea would be to explore beyond the final year project, to start of a conversation and host a discussion. To submit the project and exhibit it to bring together ideas and then start off a conversation with other individuals.

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appendix: iterations and extended elements

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