Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545759
ask the farmers to stop delivering produce and begin researching organic and regenerative farming. With a background in journalism and experience working at Malta's Environment Ministry, she already understood environmental policy and waste management. Now she wanted answers about food. "I've always had an obsession with the truth," she says. "Journalism taught me how to ask questions, and PR taught me never to lie because the truth always catches up with you." When Zerafa met her partner Franco, who decided to move to Malta from Sicily, they saw an opportunity to build something meaningful. Franco had established contacts with certified organic farming cooperatives in Sicily, giving them access to a model that was already working successfully. Working alongside Sicilian producers became Zerafa's education in organic agriculture. She learned about certification systems, strict production standards, inspections and the importance of independent regulating bodies that ensure organic food is genuinely produced according to established rules. "At first, my job wasn't really business," she recalls. "I translated the website, my partner handled the logistics, and I focused on information." Rather than simply selling vegetables, Zerafa spent her time explaining what organic certification means, why it matters, and how consumers could identify trustworthy producers. When The Farmer's Deli opened, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Malta's organic market was still very much a niche. Many of the shop's earliest customers were expatriates working in sectors such as financial services and iGaming. Having already embraced organic food in their home countries, they arrived in Malta looking for products that were difficult to find locally. Awareness among Maltese consumers was far lower, making information a central part of the business. "I never wanted to preach," Zerafa says. "It was about providing information." She organised farm visits, taking customers directly to producers so they could see how food was grown. Trust, she believes, cannot stop at the retailer. "Customers are trusting me because I'm trusting the producers behind me." The Farmer's Deli also began working with Malta's small number of certified organic farmers, providing them with an important retail outlet while giving customers access to fresh local produce that travelled only short distances. Over time, the business evolved into something more than a grocery shop. By sourcing specialist products, reading labels, understanding 11