Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545759
A Vision for Organic and Sustainable Food in Malta A Conversation with Sonya Sammut Four years into your role as Malta's Ambassador for Organic and Sustainable Food, what does success look like to you? When I first took on this role, I thought success would be measured through targets, action plans, and statistics. Those things remain important, but over time I have come to see success in a much more human way. For me, success is about the positive impact we leave on people's lives. It is the farmer who takes the first step towards certification. It is the young entrepreneur who discovers a market opportunity in sustainable food. It is the consumer who feels empowered to make informed choices about what they buy and eat. My role is officially to promote organic farming and help coordinate Malta's Action Plan for Organic Food. In practice, however, it is also about listening, learning, connecting people, and helping create the conditions for positive change. As a scientist and a policymaker, I firmly believe that good decisions begin with good information. People have a right to understand where their food comes from, how it is produced, and what the evidence tells us. Once people have access to that information, they are remarkably capable of making the right choices for themselves, their families, and their communities. Is organic farming a realistic opportunity for Malta, given our limitations of land and water? I believe organic farming represents a genuine opportunity for Malta, but we must be realistic about both its potential and its challenges. One of the strengths of organic farming is that it provides farmers with a recognised and trusted identity. In many ways, organic certification is a ready-made brand that can then be adapted to each farm's unique story, products, and strengths. In a competitive market, that distinction can be extremely valuable. At the same time, the challenges facing organic farmers are often the same challenges facing all farmers: limited land, water scarcity, rising costs, pest damage, and access to markets. In organic systems, some of these challenges can be even more pronounced because certain conventional tools are not available. This is why I often compare the conversion period to the start-up phase of a business. The objective is not to maximise production immediately but to build a resilient system capable of delivering value over the long term. That is also why support schemes exist to help farmers navigate this transition. Looking ahead, I see Malta's organic farming sector becoming increasingly specialised. Rather than competing on volume, our strength will likely lie in small, innovative, mixed farms that combine quality, authenticity, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. What role do consumers play in shaping the future of organic and sustainable food? Consumers are far more powerful than they sometimes realise. Every purchase sends a signal about the kind of food system we want to support. Four years into her role as Malta's Ambassador for Organic and Sustainable Food, Sonya Sammut reflects on the progress of the organic sector, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and why informed consumers, resilient farmers, and sustainable choices are all essential to building a healthier, more secure food future for Malta.