An action plan for organic food in Malta

The launch of the draft national action plan for organic food opens a new chapter in Malta’s transition to a healthier and more sustainable food system that is inclusive of organic farming and aquaculture.

During a recent event held on 22 March at the Dolmen hotel in Qawra, the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights (MAFA) communicated its vision for the plan, which is to offer consumers high quality local organic food from farming and aquaculture whilst driving sustainable income for Maltese and Gozitan producers.

The plan aligns with Europe’s sustainability goals set out in the EU Green Deal and in the Farm to Fork Strategy to have 25% of agricultural land in Europe under organic farming and to substantially increase organic aquaculture by 2030.

Within this context, Malta has set the ambitious target to increase organic farming to 5%, up from just 0.6%, over the next seven years. This goal will address the need to have sufficient local production and locally available food that satisfies the market demand in terms of quality, volume, and choice. Nowadays consumers are increasingly demanding genuine food that meets the highest standards of quality while also being full of taste and free from artificial substances such as pesticides and anti-microbials. Organic food offers this guarantee.

Malta’s action plan for organic food stands on three main pillars. The first pillar aims at creating a favourable ecosystem around the producer by providing financial support for organic farming conversion, supporting investment in organic startups and processing, providing specific training, facilitating access to resources for organic farming and supporting organic aquaculture.

The second pillar focuses on the need to strengthen organisational and leadership competence and to ensure that there is adequate capacity to bring about the desired shift in the sector. We see measures that target key institutions including the office of the Ambassador for Organic and Sustainable Food, the competent and advisory authorities, and the certification body for organic production.

The need to provide more direct access to organic food, also through short supply chains within what are known as ‘biodistricts’ and ‘bio-trails’, is a crucial priority for action. This is why the plan’s third pillar brings together a set of actions that aim to address increased awareness, promotion, improved accessibility of organic food to HoReCa also through local markets such as the Pitkalija and Farmers’ Market, as well as incentives to stimulate collaboration and the formation of producers’ organisations.

The MAFA is inviting all those who have an interest in the organic food sector to participate in the public consultation process. As from 3 April, consultation documents in both Maltese and English will be available online on the official portal publicconsultation.gov.mt, and the general public may submit their feedback in relation to the action plan during the consultation period of six weeks.

This is an opportunity to be part of a deep change that will bring about many benefits and positive impacts on our future of food.