Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1013924
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 AUGUST 2018 NEWS "Let's say that authorities sometimes are adopting the motto 'holier than the Pope' in a way which stifles progress in this sector". While Borg sees no need to build new accommodation fa- cilities in the countryside to serve as agritourism establish- ments, she believes that tour- ism offers countless opportu- nities for farmers. She notes that a number of B&Bs, particularly in Gozo, are offering home-made jams, scrambled eggs made from local eggs and ġbejniet for breakfast. "They aren't even identified as agri-tourism outlets and yet some of them are support- ing local buy trading with lo- cal farmers to bring about delicacies on the table of their guests". The same interest in local produce should be cultivated amongst the Maltese. Moreo- ver, local products have a low- er carbon footprint as these do not have to be transported over large distances. "Tourists are head over heals when they taste local products, be it fruits, delicacies or meat. Maltese people need to believe more in their product. It's all about passion and pride". The key to encourage more young people to opt for a ca- reer in agriculture is through education. This is not a difficult process when considering that chil- dren have a natural curios- ity on anything, which grows from the land. "The vibe created by agricultural projects in pri- mary schools where young children can actually see and touch their own produce is immense." Positively at secondary level agribusiness has become a subject in its own right and is now recognised on equal foot- ing with other SEC subjects. Unfortunately, in the post secondary sector the Insti- tute for Agriculture at the University of Malta has been rebranded as the Institute of Earth Systems while the MCAST Institute of Agribusi- ness fell under the "Applied Sciences" umbrella. Giving recognition to agri- culture as a subject in its own right is very important accord- ing to Borg. "Having a ministry wholly responsible for agriculture as used to happen in the past in- stead of relegating it to a par- liamentary secretariat would do give it greater attention and recognition." Moreover, agriculture on its own involves many differ- ent stakeholders and covers a wide range of topics ranging from environmental sustain- ability and landscaping to food safety and the economic well being of rural communities. One major thing lacking in Malta is the recognition of ag- riculture as a profession. "When one needs expert opinion on architecture one relies on an architect, when one needs an opinion on law one relies on a lawyer. Do we give the same recognition to agriculturalists?" She laments the anachronis- tic mentality, which depicts farmers as "people lacking qualifications who are often stigmatised as being ignorant". "Nothing can be further from the truth as farmers are able to practise different disciplines like science, mathematics and management together…Not only do they learn to grow food but also have to run a profitable establishment." Yet not enough is being done to assist farmers in further education and to grant them recognition for skills, which they have practised for years in the absence of formal certi- fication. Despite increasing recogni- tion of agribusiness as a sub- ject on equal footing with others, one still encounters episodes of prejudice. Added to latent prejudice is the bad press agriculture often gets in matters related to food safety. A case in point was an article decrying the high pesti- cide residues in products sold in Malta, which should not be taken at face value. For example, the report also shows that 60% of cereal sam- ples tested showed pesticide residue, something which one cannot blame on the Maltese farmer as these products are imported. "Surely there is room for improvement to safeguard consumers but the report de- pended on statistical inter- pretation rather than facts on the ground and leaves behind many questions about what is safe and what is not". While "scaremongering is damaging the income of farm- ers", Borg insists that it use- less for the agricultural sector to constantly depict itself as a victim. Instead stakeholders in this sector should take a more pro-active role. "Communication is key and we need to use it more to show our side of the story…there is a lot going on but not enough is done to relate it to the pub- lic". One notable absence is the lack of exposure the sector gets on the media. "Programmes related to food production and agriculture are mainstay of Italian TV on Sunday morning… we need to see more of this in Malta". Events like Festa Frawli and Lejla Mgarrija also help to fos- ter a sense of community and pride in rural communities while offering a platform for different stakeholders in ag- riculture. For food, according to Borg, is a big part of what defines us as Maltese. "For what comes to mind when we think of what to get along when representing Mal- ta abroad? Yes… Food! Ok, we need to move a bit away from the usual Twistees, Cisk, Ġbejniet and Galletti routine, but the gist of it all is that al- most inevitably we revert to food whenever we look at who we are". jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt