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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 MAY 2022 NEWS 16 MATTHEW VELLA FRIENDS of the Earth Malta has launched a photography exhibition by award winning photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi, telling the story of ten Maltese farmers, who have been chosen for their environmen- tally-friendly farming practices, and reveal some of the faces be- hind Maltese produce. "Farmers are vital to keep- ing the island's rural landscape lush, green and well preserved. They also produce an abun- dance of diverse and healthy fruit and vegetables that are picked fresh throughout the seasons, providing us with nu- tritious food. Despite their es- sential work, farmers experi- ence several challenges and are not always supported, especially by important policies that are shaping the food and farming landscape," said Anne Marie Apap, project coordinator. As the EU's smallest member state, Malta's adoption of the revised Common Agriculture Policy and associated Euro- pean Green Deal and Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies stands to impact the country's farming community in a deep and profound way. "In many ways, Malta may be viewed as a microcosm of the wider challenges facing the EU, with issues such as urban sprawl, sector support and an ageing farmer demographic li- able to affect the country con- siderably." Joe (pictured) comes from a farming family. One by one his six brothers moved on but Joe remained to devote his life's work to the farmland that was leased to his grandfather in 1981. Livestock and crop production is not something new to Joe, but 2022 marks a big milestone as he and his son are hopeful to be the first certified organic animal husbandry farm in Malta by the end of the year. It has been a journey getting to this stage. Married in 1991, Joe started to feel unsettled about the chem- icals in food products that he would bring home for his wife and young children. Straw- berries were a favourite of his children's, but at the time this fruit was sprayed with chemi- cals. One of Joe's sons was very persistent that he wanted to eat strawberries but did not want to be consuming the chemicals sprayed on them. He was con- cerned about the health impacts that these chemicals have. Making the transition to or- ganic farming had its compli- cations. The Malta Organic Ag- riculture Movement (MOAM) began in 1999, but farmers did not have the extensive internet and media access they do now- adays. Through some of this research and a lot of trial and error, Joe now prefers to use natural organic waste to protect his crop. Stinging nettles are one such plant that works well as a natural pesticide. Nowadays, Joe's son is starting to manage more of the farm. Joe's son originally worked as a chef, a career that goes hand in hand with organic farm- ing and this is something that he has utilised. He has hosted nights of cooking on the farm grounds using only local organ- ic vegetables. There has been an excellent response to this with participants more than satis- fied with the meat alternatives. Could this be a recurring event to look out for in the future? He managed to get funding from the Young Farmers Fund to cover costs for restructuring the farm in their process to be- coming certified organic. Yet, they receive very minimal fund- ing for being organic. There was help with the initial transition process but now Joe and his son pay €540 for the organic certi- fication every year, for each or- ganic produce. That is €540 for vegetables, €540 for goats, and €540 for chickens. Over €1,500 were spent just on certification. The costs have not deterred them though. Joe will be the first organic dairy farm in Malta. For a rel- atively small island, this is diffi- cult to achieve. The farm needs organic land for grazing, an in- door area and then a separate area outside that is accessible for the goats 24/7 to use for stretching. On top of that, there must be a bathroom with a toi- let and shower, a milking room, a feed room, and Joe is currently building a nursery and isolation area for if the goats become un- well. It's no small task to become organic. The exhibition will be on display at Valletta City Gate near Parliament until today, Sunday 15 May. It then moves to Sliema seafront at Ghar id- Dud from Thursday on 26 May until Sunday the 29 May. Exhibition Tours will be held by Ms Maria Eileen Fsadni on Saturday 14th May at Valletta and Saturday 28th at Sliema, participation is by registration through https://foemalta.org/ events/. PHOTOGRAPHY DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI (C) Faces of farming, Malta's precious guardians

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