Background
Food is a subject of high importance directly impacting well-being, identity and security of the Maltese society. As a small island state with very limited resources, Malta is especially vulnerable to external shocks and global disruptions since Malta has a high reliance on imported food. The need for a robust, secure and sustainable food system locally emerged from the global crises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which caused inflation and geopolitical instability.. In response to these realities, the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights has developed Malta’s Strategy for Resilient Food Systems 2025–2034, a forward-looking national framework that places food security, sustainability, and citizens’ well-being at the centre of policy development.
The Strategy aims to align mindsets and behaviours among various stakeholders across the food ecosystem, including government, producers, consumers, and businesses, towards a common direction. This involves adapting EU policy to the local context, with particular reference to the European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy and the more recent Vision for Agriculture and Food, which is based on the outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture.
The Strategy also seeks to converge with national priorities outlined in various sectoral and thematic strategies aligned with Malta Vision 2050. These include Malta’s Action Plan for Organic Food, the National Post-Pandemic Strategy for Malta, Malta’s National Agricultural Policy (2018–2028), the Food and Nutrition Policy and Action Plan for Malta (up to 2020), Malta’s Sustainable Development Strategy for 2050, among others.
Malta’s Strategy for Resilient Food Systems is built on three pillars:
- Pillar 1. Securing the Viability of Local Production: Empowering Economic Activity for the Present and Beyond
- Pillar 2. Future‑Proofing Food Supply: Strengthening Resilience and Security
- Pillar 3. Igniting Pride in Local Food and Nurturing a Knowledge-Driven Food Culture.
Through this Strategy, Malta affirms its commitment to safeguarding the viability of local food production, securing access to safe and nutritious food, and nurturing a national culture that values food as a source of pride, identity, and collective resilience.
Public Consultation
Following the launch of Malta’s Draft Strategy for Resilient Food Systems on the 16th of October 2024, the Food Systems Directorate within the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights initiated the public consultation period to engage with stakeholders and respective organisations. The public consultation period closed on the 29th of November 2024. During this period, two consultation sessions in Malta and Gozo respectively, were held, complemented by bilateral meetings with several sectoral stakeholders. A total of 43 individual submissions and 18 organisational responses were received via the official online consultations portal as well as by means of email. Cross ministerial consultations were also carried out with relevant Ministries to ensure coherence across policy domains.
Feedback received during the consultation was substantive and constructive, addressing the full scope of the Strategy’s three pillars. Key themes included the need to improve land access for primary producers, reinforce generational renewal in agriculture, enhance traceability and food safety mechanisms, and strengthen the visibility and labelling of local produce. Stakeholders also called for more integrated food education within the national curriculum and greater support for food system innovation, including agri-tech and sustainable practices.
The consultation reaffirmed the Strategy’s strategic direction while also identifying areas for refinement, which have been carefully analysed and integrated into the final version of the Strategy.