Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1395902
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JULY 2021 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Need for a disability strategy THE strategy, "Freedom to Live", Mal- ta's 2021-2030 National Strategy on the Rights of Disabled Persons, was launched by Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli. It was developed by the Of-fice for Disability Issues (ODI) within the Office of the Permanent Sec- retary through a working group made up of key experts over the past years. The national umbrella organisation for the disability sector, the Malta Federation of Organisa-tions Persons with Disability (MFOPD), had the op- portunity to participate in the consul- tation process as did the general public. MFOPD appreciates ODI representa- tive, Dr Alistair De Gaeta-no's availabil- ity to meet up twice. A strategy creates a vision and direc- tion. This is why we need and are ex- pecting a good disabil-ity strategy with the persons with disability in the centre of each objective. It is important for all of us involved in the disability sector to have clear goals and to follow the direc- tion of the sector. The disability strategy should help us know what is being worked on and what should be work-ing on first. We are expecting a clearly defined and articulated strategy which gives prece- dence to our priorities; brings everyone on the same page to move together to achieve our priorities; simplifies deci- sion-making as priorities make it easier to say no to distracting initiatives; drives alignment within the sector; better coordinate resources to maximise our strategic success; communicates our message among others; and stipulates MFOPD's full participation The Malta Federation of Organisa- tions Persons with Disability (MFOPD) is the national umbrella organisation for the disability sector. It is the voice of, approximately 37,000 persons with disa-bility in the Maltese islands. It has 33 enrolled member organisations all working within the disability sector. MFOPD was established 50 years ago. Marthese Mugliette President, MFOPD Ethanol in Malta 40 years ago, the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture published a study called "Fuel from Farms – A Guide to Small-Scale Ethanol Production." 10 years ago, the National Renewable Energy Action Plan 2011, proposed the introduction of bioethanol in Malta; the intention was to import ethanol, and not have it produced locally. In 2015, the Labour government abandoned the proposal to introduce ethanol in Malta when it revised the National Renewable Energy Action Plan. The Malta Automobile Club is shar- ing the study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the farmers' co-oper- atives and the Ministry for Agriculture. It is suggesting that the co-operatives together with their members explore the costs and benefits of cultivating crops for the produc-tion of ethanol in Malta. As far as it is known, no local study has been conducted to explore the costs and benefits of producing ethanol in Malta. It is time that the Ministry for Agriculture and the Ministry for En-er- gy, together with the contribution of the University of Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technolo- gy conduct a study on the cultivation of crops to produce ethanol in Mal-ta. The European Association of Renew- able Ethanol Industry (ePure) is likely to offer advice and assistance to any entre- preneur who is interested in setting up a small-scale ethanol plant in Malta. Such a process would keep the farm- ers busy, it could create a niche for ag- ribusiness, it could help Enemed reduce its fuel import bill, and it could reduce air pollution in Malta – a win-win situ- ation for all! Alfred A. Farrugia, Attard Anti-choice brigade Matic report I refer to the letter 'Matic report' by John Azzopardi (11 July 2021). As a Doctor for Choice, I am baffled by the antics of the anti-choice brigade. Their attempts to vilify our evidence-based con-tributions to the abortion 'debate' in Malta are amusing, if inconsequen- tial. Whether they like it or not, women and girls in Malta will continue to seek abortions. Exporting our problems and importing solutions is not the way for- ward. Burying one's head in the prover- bial sand will get us nowhere. Prof. Isabel Stabile Doctors For Choice