Inconsistency in the government’s environmental policy reigns supreme: on the one hand it states that it wants to reduce the use of private vehicles and on the other it approves projects that not only eat up agricultural land but also encourage the use of cars. ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo was addressing a press conference at the site of the proposed building of a supermarket on agricultural land outside the development zone (ODZ) in Qormi.

ADPD Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that Qormi was once again the target for the destruction  of a sizeable tract of agricultural land in an ODZ area – an application for the building of a supermarket on this site has been submitted.

It is a well-known fact that agricultural land does not only have an economic value but also an environmental and social one – it is not only the main source of income for a number of families but the little green spaces we have left provide a breathing space in between the crowded urban areas in our country.

One therefore asks why this repeated attack on agricultural land is allowed to continue with the blessing of the Planning Authority that permits the destruction of such land? This attack has been carried out through the extension of unnecessary road infrastructure and the transformation of considerable agricultural tracts into ‘recreational areas’ to the detriment of agriculture.

The Planning Authority has the legal remit to stop this but it has continuously failed to act. This madness must be stopped immediately, before it is too late, insisted Gauci.

Carmel Cacopardo said that the Ministry for Agriculture acknowledges that our country’s eco-system is slowly being eroded. Indeed in the introduction of an Agricultural Land Reform White Paper published for public consultation by the same ministry in October it states: “Controlling the acquisition and ownership of land is fundamental to guaranteeing the sustainability of agriculture and food production, as well as the protection of the rural environment. For this reason, whenever there are issues in this area, these not only affect farmers but also have a strong impact on the supply and security of food and the quality of the environment that can be enjoyed by society. When the acquisition and possession of land are not controlled, there is a risk of farmers losing agricultural land, to the detriment of their livelihood, as well as to the country’s ability to produce food and safeguard the rural environment.”

Therefore one is pushed to ask: what is holding back the Ministry for Agriculture from stopping other ministries from continue with the unbridled destruction of agricultural land? Why does it not declare itself against the continuous approval of applicants by the Planning Authority? And this is not the only contradiction.

It is government’s declared strategy – as announced by the Ministry for the Environment – to reduce the number of cars on the road by 41% by 2030. But then we are faced with multiple projects for supermarkets that not only destroy arable land but encourage the use of private cars! This inconsistency is responsible for the state of the environment in Malta.

The Ministry of Agriculture should take the necessary action to ensure that lofty ideals expressed in documents are carried out in practice by ensuring that public projects as well as the policies carried out by government agencies and institutions consider the intrinsic value of agricultural land in their decisions, conclude Cacopardo.

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Inkonsistenzi fil-politika ambjentali tal-Gvern

Tirrenja inkonsistenza kbira fil-politika ambjentali tal-Gvern fejn min-naħa jgħid li jrid inaqqas l-użu tal-karozzi privati u min-naħa l-oħra għandu politika li tkompli tinkoraġġixxi l-użu tal-karozzi privati, u dan apparti l-qerda ta’ iktar art agrikola. Dan ġie emfasizzat minn Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party waqt konferenza stampa fejn is-sit ta’ żvilupp propost ta’ supermarket fuq art agrikola barra ż-żona ta’ żvilupp (ODZ) bejn Ħal Qormi u l-Imrieħel.

Sandra Gauci, Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD qalet li għal darboħra qegħdin f’Ħal Qormi fejn żona sostanzjali barra ż-żona ta’ żvilupp u li hija art agrikola hu propost li tinqered. Dan huwa propost f’applikazzjoni għal bini ta’ supermarket f’dan is-sit.

Huwa fatt magħruf li art agrikola għandna valur mhux biss ekonomiku imma ukoll ambjentali u soċjali – mhux biss din l-art tista’ tikkontribwixxi għad-dħul ta’ numru ta’ familji f’pajjiżna imma l-ftit art li għad fadlilna mhux mittiefsa tagħti nifs u toffri pulmun bejn iż-żoni urbani iffulati ta’ pajjiżna.

Għalhekk wieħed jistaqsi għaliex dan l-attakk kontinwu jibqa’ għaddej bil-barka tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li ripetutament tħalli il-qerda ta’ din l-art agrikola? Din rajnieha ssir bl-infrastruttura bla ħtieġa ta’ toroq kif ukoll f’artijiet sħaħ jitħallew jintużaw bħala żoni ta’ rikreazzjoni u li ma jħallux spazju għall-biedja.

L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar għandha s-saħħa legali li dan iżżommu milli jseħħ imma qegħda tonqos li taqdi dmira ripetutament. Dan il-ġenn għandu jieqaf minnuh, qabel ma jkun tard wisq, sostniet Gauci.

Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-Ministeru tal-Agrikoltura jirrikonoxxi li l-eko-sistema ta’ pajjiżna qegħda tiġi meqruda bil-mod il-mod. Saħansitra fil-White Paper intitolata “Riforma fil-qasam tar-raba’” ippubblikata għal konsultazzjoni pubblika mill-istess ministeru f’Ottubru li għadda naqraw fid-daħla stess li:
“Il-ħarsien tar-raba’ huwa fundamentali biex niggarantixxu s-sostenibbiltà tal-biedja, il-produzzjoni tal-ikel, u l-ħarsien tal-ambjent rurali. Huwa għalhekk li meta jkun hemm problemi f’dan il-qasam, dawn ma jolqtux biss lill-bdiewa, iżda għandhom impatt qawwi fuq il-provvista u s-sigurtà tal-ikel, u l-kwalità tal-ambjent li jista’ jitgawda mis-soċjetà. Meta r-raba’ b’mod jew ieħor ma jkunx imħares, jidħol ir-riskju li tintilef l-art agrikola u l-għejxien tal-bdiewa. Jidħol ukoll ir-riskju li tintilef il-kapaċità tal-pajjiż biex jipproduċi l-ikel u jħares l-ambjent rurali.”

Għalhekk tqum weħidha l-mistoqsija: x’qiegħed iżomm lill-Ministeru tal-Agrikoltura biex ma jieqafx lil ministeri oħra li jkomplu jibqgħu għaddejjin bl-isfreġju bla rażan ta’ art agrikola? Għaliex ma jitkellimx kontra l-applikazzjonijiet li l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar kontinwament tapprova? U din mhix l-unika kontradizzjoni.

Hi strateġija tal-Gvern, imħabbra mill-Ministeru għall-Ambjent li sal-2030 irridu inaqqsu 41% tal-karozzi mit-toroq. Imma imbagħad għadna quddiemna proġett wieħed wara l-ieħor ta’ supermarkets li mhux talli jeqred l-art agrikola eżistenti talli jkomplu jinkoraġġixxu l-użu tal-karozzi privati! Din l-inkonsistenza turi għaliex l-ambjent f’Malta qiegħed fl-istat li hu.

Il-Ministeru tal-Agrikoltura għandu jara li mill-kliem jgħaddi għal fatti u jara li l-kliem sabiħ fid-dokumenti jitwettaq fil-prattika billi proġetti pubbliċi kif ukoll il-politika mwettqa minn istituzzjonijiet u aġenziji tal-Gvern jikkonsidraw il-valur sħiħ tal-art agrikola fid-deċiżjonijiet tagħhom. Jekk is-settur pubbliku ma jkunx ta’ eżempju xejn m’hu se jinbidel: nibqgħu sejrin għan-niżla, temm jgħid Cacopardo.