Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1481871
12 OPINION Agriculture will suffer a slow death if we fail to act boldly THE COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have con- firmed that the importance of agriculture goes much further than its direct contribution (1.4%) to Malta's Gross Domes- tic Product. In times of increased uncertainty, food security be- comes of strategic importance. This is true to all nations and economies. In 2017, the European Parlia- ment passed a resolution iden- tifying agricultural land 'as an increasingly, non-renewable resource'. It stipulated that it is a fundamental human right to have access to sufficient and healthy food. It recognises that agricultural land is a key part of the ecosystem, which is vital for the survival of humans. It notes that land is increasingly becom- ing a source of conflict among competing economic players and, more importantly under- stands that high prices and rents for agricultural land tend to render the activity of farmers economically unattractive. Fundamentally, the resolution acknowledged the responsibility of the State to intervene on the market to ensure the preserva- tion of agricultural land, which while being owned property is also a public asset subject to social obligations. State inter- vention is justified in the public interest provided that it is not discriminatory and respects the fundamental freedoms of all cit- izens. In fact it is not only justi- fied, it is indeed essential. In a small island like Malta the competition for land use is even more intense. Since conven- tional agriculture is inherently land-intensive, controlling the acquisition and ownership of agriculture land becomes fun- damental to the sustainability of agriculture and food production. Various policies and plans al- ready exist, such as the National Agricultural Policy for Mal- ta and Malta's Strategic Plan 2023-2027 (under the Common Agricultural Policy). What is required now, is a framework which offers a long-term vision, and which takes into account the interests of the various stakeholders, as well as, strong systems which facilitate access to land, market and funds to support food production and the ownership and acquisition of land. This month the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and An- imal Rights for which I am re- sponsible published a White Paper entitled "Reform in the Acquisition and Ownership of Farmland". This White Paper builds on the proposed amend- ments to the Agriculture Lease (Reletting) Act (Chapter 199 of the Laws of Malta) which parts thereof were declared unconsti- tutional by the Maltese Court. These amendments have been tabled before our Parliament and their primary objective is to address those elements deemed unconstitutional, by amongst others setting the procedure, method and criteria for the fi- nancial value assessment of ag- ricultural land. The proposed procedure is both fair and pro- portional whilst ensuring that agricultural land is valued as such and not on the basis of other speculative interests. It would be remiss of me as minister responsible for agri- culture not to recognise that the sector is at a crossroads. If we fail to act now, and if we fail to act boldly, agriculture in Mal- ta will suffer a slow yet certain death, to the irredeemable det- riment not only of farmers and their families, but also to our collective prosperity and secu- rity. But as always, each crises brings with it opportunity, in this case the opportunity to cre- ate the framework ensuring the continued security and sustain- ability of agricultural enterprise for years to come. This is pre- cisely what the White Paper sets out to achieve through its bold and far reaching proposals. The White Paper lists twelve proposals intended to protect Maltese agricultural land. The key proposal is the setting up of an Authority whose responsibil- ities will include keeping a re- cord of sales, rentals and proper use of private agricultural land, ensuring that all transfers are based on the principle of fair value and the acquisition of pri- vate agricultural land by genu- ine and young farmers. The Authority will be empow- ered to act as an intermediary and, if necessary, to acquire ag- ricultural land offered for sale by its owners, so as to allocate it to active or prospective farmers. The Authority will set up a ca- dastre (information system) on land tenure, use and ownership and will be expected to liaise closely with the Planning Au- thority to safeguard agricultural land within the boundaries es- tablished in accordance to Ru- ral Zones identified in the Local Plans of 2006, and any subse- quent changes thereto. The Lands Authority, on its part, will be embarking on a process to review the estimated value of agriculture leases whenever calls for offers are issued en- suring that those offers too are based on fair value principles and preference is given to gen- uine farmers. Other measures proposed in the White Paper include tax measures to incentivise agri- cultural land tenure and ac- quisition by active farmers and newcomers as well as financial assistance to encourage invest- ment in agriculture. It is being proposed that national funds be used to incentivise the consoli- dation of land holdings and to offer loan guarantees to farmers buying agricultural land cur- rently leased to them. To ensure that benefits from the reform benefit those seri- ously committed to the agricul- tural sector, a distinction will be made between active and hobby farmers as well as newcomers. These distinctions will follow the new regulations governing income support to active farm- ers under the Common Agricul- tural Policy. The White Paper is available online and I encourage the gen- eral public to submit its com- ments during the consultation period. All contributions are not only most welcome but are crucial to ensure that this bold reform reflects the true ambi- tions of all Maltese alike. Contributions can be submit- ted at publicconsultation.ma- fa@gov.mt until the 8th of No- vember 2022. Anton Refalo maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 OCTOBER 2022 Anton Refalo is minister for agriculture, fisheries and animal rights