At a press conference on Sunday ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons Carmel Cacopardo and Luke Caruana called to an immediate halt to the destruction of Gozo. They also highlighted the need for arable land to be protected in order that food security in our country is guaranteed.

ADPD – The Green Party Treasurer and candidate on the 12th and 13th District Luke Caruana said that although many issues impacting Malta have a direct bearing on Gozo, there are specific ones that should be given particular attention for Gozitans’ needs to be better addressed.

Caruana emphasised that the proposed tunnel between Malta and Gozo would lead to financial and environmental ruin and should be scrapped. If it were to go ahead this will be creating untold environmental damage at the Gozitan side in Ta’ Kenuna, in-Nadur as well as in the environs of tal-Għerien in Mellieħa where it will have its entrance/exit in Malta. Likewise, the proposed airport for small aircraft should be taken off the table – when one considers that similar experiments with helicopter flights in the past were not deemed viable how can the further erosion of ODZ land be justified? Other services should be extended instead, such as more berthing points for the fast ferry.

Gozitan local councils that have been speaking out in one voice against the ongoing destruction on the island should be heeded more by the authorities. The latest obscenity in Sannat has just been approved. “We do not reckon it is purely a coincidence that the developer behind this project, Joseph Portelli, happened to be the man that a few months ago admitted that he finds no issue in donating to both the PLPN expecting favours in return,” concluded Caruana.

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson and candidate on the 4th and 9th District Carmel Cacopardo said that the land on which this latest project in Sannat has been approved is very much suitable for agriculture. Such ill-suited decisions are leaving an impact on food provision in our country leading to a greater dependency on imports while putting the livelihoods of our farmers at risk.

The latest permit awarded should also be seen in the context of the PL’s proposal for green spaces in urban areas. Neither the PN is credible in its environmental considerations. Both present themselves as green with fancy proposals but in reality they are accomplices with those who are hell bent on destroying our environment. “At the end of the day the PLPN are always in cahoots with the money makers, against the common citizen and our environment,” stressed Cacopardo.

This type of development was not the only threat being faced by our farmers. There is also the increased demand for the purchase of tracts of  agricultural land for recreational use. Many landowners are preferring to sell their land for a substantial sum than simply receive the few Euros they get from leasing the land.

It is a known fact that agriculture does not render enough profit to justify those prices and so the law of the jungle where whoever is able to afford those prices rule the roost prevails. However, Judge Lawrence Mintoff has recently made a case in favour of agriculture. He said the country should appreciate more and safeguard the benefits obtainable by agriculture. If we do not safeguard it, what are we going to eat? Our dependence on overseas suppliers may lead to delays and limited provision, as we have seen during the pandemic and now with the Ukraine invasion. We can never rely completely on importation. Our land is able to provide as was proven in the past. But we need to safeguard it!

In spite of the liberalisation of commerce and food imports, it still remains the State’s duty to ensure that we are not excessively dependent on overseas supplies.  Otherwise agriculture in our country is doomed, concluded Cacopardo.

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Il-qerda ta’ Għawdex għandha tieqaf mill-aktar fis; inħarsu l-agrikoltura u s-sigurtà tal-provista tal-ikel

Waqt konferenza stampa il-Ħadd, kelliema tal-ADPD – The Green Party saħqu fuq il-ħtieġa li il-qerda ta’ Għawdex titwaqqaf immedjatament. Emfasizzaw il-ħtieġa li l-art agrikola f’pajjiżna tiġi mħarsa f’ġieħ is-sigurta fil-qasam tal-provvista ta’ l-ikel.

Luke Caruana, Teżorier u kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fuq it-12 u t-13-il Distrett, qal li għalkemm ħafna mill-issues li jolqtu lil Malta jaffettwaw ukoll lill-gżira Għawdxija, hemm affarijiet li jolqotha li għandhom jingħataw attenzjoni partikolari biex l-Għawdxin ikunu moqdija aħjar.  

Caruana saħaq li il-ġennata ta’  mina bejn Malta u Għawdex ma ssirx.  Kieku kellha ssir din se toħloq sfreġju ambjentali kbir kemm f’ Ta’ Kenuna, n-Nadur, kif ukoll fl-inħawi tal-Għerien, limiti tal-Mellieħa fejn hu ppjanat li l-mina tisbokka f’Malta. Bl-istess mod l-idea ta’ ajruport għall-ajruplani żgħar għanda tintesa għaliex bħalma ġara b’esperimenti simili fil-passat permezz ta’ helicopter m’hemmx vijabilta’ li jiġġustifika aktar qerda ta’ art barra ż-żona ta’ l-iżvilupp (ODZ).  Minflok, għandhom jiżdiedu servizzi oħra fosthom li il-fast ferry ma jaħdimx biss mill-port il-kbir imma jiġi estiż għal inħawi oħra.

Għandha tingħata kas tal-fehma tal-Kunsilli Lokali f’Għawdex li ilhom żmien isemmgħu leħinhom dwar l-isfreġju li bħalissa għaddej fuq il-gżira Għawdxija. L-aħħar oxxenita’ ġiet propju approvata ftit tal-jiem ilu. “Ma naħsibx li kumbinazzjoni li wara dan il-proġett hemm żviluppatur ewlieni, Joseph Portelli, li ftit tax-xhur ilu ftaħar li hu jħossu komdu jagħti donazzjonijiet lil PLPN, ħalli dawn jieħdu ħsiebu,” temm Caruana.

Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson u kandidat ta’ ADPD – The Green Party fuq ir-4 u d-9 distrett kompla li l-art f’Ta’ Sannat li fuqha ġie approvat l-iżvilupp f’dawn il-ġranet huwa fuq art tajba ħafna għall-agrikoltura.  Dan sejjer ikompli jimpatta fuq il-provvista ta’ l-ikel f’pajjiżna billi iżid id-dipendenza tagħna fuq ikel impurtat filwaqt li jpoġġi fil-periklu l-għajxien tal-bdiewa li jaqilgħu ħobżhom minn fuq l-art.
Dan il-permess inħareġ fl-istess żmien li l-Partit Laburista qiegħed iwiegħed zoni ħodor f’diversi lokalitajiet. Ma hemmx kredibilità fl-argumenti ambjentali tal-PNPL. Iwegħdu l-ilma jiżfen imma meta jiġu għas-si un-no dejjem jibqgħu kompliċi ma’ min imexxi aġenda ta’ qerda ambjentali. Fl-aħħar dejjem issibhom fuq in-naħa tal-flus, kontra n-nies u kontra l-ambjent, emfasizza Cacopardo. 

Żvilupp ta’ dan it-tip mhuwiex l-unika theddida li qegħdin jiffaċċja l-bdiewa f’pajjiżna. Hemm id-domanda dejjem tikber għal xiri ta’ art għar-rikreazzjoni. Bosta sidien tar-raba’ qegħdin jippreferu jbiegħu l-art tagħhom għal somma tajba milli l-ftit ċekċik ta’ Ewro li bħalissa qed idaħlu mill-qbiela.

Il-biedja ma tirrendix qliegħ biżżejjed biex tagħmel tajjeb għal dawn il-prezzijiet li qed jintalbu u għalhekk kienet qegħda tirrenja il-liġi tal-ġungla fejn min jiflaħ iħallas jiddetta. Madankollu f’sentenza riċenti tal-Imħallef Wenzu Mintoff, il-Qorti għamlet l-argument qawwi favur il-biedja. Il-pajjiż, qal l-Imħallef, għandu jħares il-biedja u japprezza iktar dak li trendi. Jekk ma nħarsux il-biedja, x’ser nieklu? Il-kummerċ ma’ barra mhux dejjem jipprovdi, biżżejjed jew fil-ħin. Ma nistgħux nistrieħu fuq il-kummerċ ma’ barra biss. L-art tagħna, jekk tinħadem tista’ tipprovdi, kif ipprovdiet iktar minn biżżejjed fil-passat. Imma jeħtieġ li l-art inħarsuha. 

Minkejja l-liberalizzazzjoni tal-kummerċ u l-importazzjoni tal-ikel minn barra, l-istat xorta jibqgħalu l-obbligu li jassigura ruħu li l-pajjiż ma jkunx jiddependi iżżejjed fuq l-importazzjoni. Jekk dan ma jsirx, l-agrikoltura, ftit ftit tispiċċa, darba għal dejjem, temm Cacopardo.