Gozo’s agricultural landscape has been shaped over generations by small family farms, livestock breeders and people who have continued working the land despite the economic and practical difficulties involved.
But an increasingly important question needs to be asked:
Who will be farming this land ten years from now?
Generational renewal is becoming one of the most important challenges facing agriculture, not only in Gozo and Malta but across the European Union.
Malta’s agricultural structure makes this challenge particularly acute. According to the European Commission, Malta has more than 10,400 farms, with around 90% covering less than two hectares. Holdings are frequently fragmented, many farms are operated by families and farming is often combined with another source of employment.
The European Commission’s assessment of Malta’s CAP Strategic Plan also explicitly identifies an ageing farming population and acknowledges that young farmers face significant barriers including access to land, finance and markets.
For Gozo, this is not simply a demographic problem. It raises a fundamental question about the future of our countryside, local food production and rural economy.
Starting a Farm Should Be a Realistic Career Choice
For many young people, entering agriculture without already having access to a family farm is extremely difficult.
Land is limited. Holdings are fragmented. Investment in machinery, irrigation, buildings and equipment can be substantial. At the same time, farmers face increasing production costs, competition from imports, regulatory obligations and uncertainty caused by climate change.
A young person considering agriculture therefore has to make a difficult calculation.
Can farming provide a sustainable livelihood?
If the answer increasingly becomes no, financial incentives alone will not solve the generational-renewal problem.
The challenge is to create the conditions in which agriculture can once again be considered a viable profession and business.
Access to Land Is Central
One of the biggest barriers is access to agricultural land.
Recent initiatives providing government agricultural land to young farmers and new entrants are therefore welcome. A pilot initiative by Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta, for example, provides for vacant government-owned agricultural land to be leased to eligible young farmers and new entrants.
Such initiatives should be developed further.
But land policy should also encourage agricultural land to remain actively and productively farmed.
Gozo cannot afford a situation where young people want to enter agriculture but cannot obtain land, while potentially productive agricultural land becomes inaccessible, fragmented further or falls out of meaningful agricultural production.
Supporting the Farmer, Not Simply the Application
Generational renewal also requires us to look beyond grants.
European and national schemes can help young farmers invest, but establishing a viable agricultural business requires much more than funding an individual piece of equipment.
Young and new farmers need access to:
- land and suitable agricultural infrastructure;
- affordable finance and investment support;
- water and efficient irrigation systems;
- training, technical advice and mentoring;
- modern technology and digital tools;
- opportunities for cooperation between producers;
- stronger routes to local markets; and
- a regulatory environment proportionate to the realities of small farms.
These priorities closely reflect the wider European discussion on generational renewal, where access to land and credit, farm succession, skills, innovation and making rural livelihoods genuinely attractive have all been identified as critical areas for action.
Gozo Needs an Island-Specific Approach
Gozo’s agricultural sector should not be viewed simply as a smaller version of agriculture elsewhere.
Its scale, double insularity, fragmented holdings, transport requirements, limited land availability and dependence on imported agricultural inputs create particular challenges.
Policies designed for much larger agricultural regions can therefore produce disproportionate administrative or financial burdens when applied to very small holdings.
Future agricultural policy should recognise these realities.
The forthcoming National Agriculture Policy 2027–2037 provides an important opportunity. The policy process itself recognises generational renewal, farm viability, land stewardship, water management and support for young farmers as strategic issues for Maltese agriculture.
GCAF believes that Gozo’s circumstances must be properly reflected as this policy develops.
Succession Matters Too
Generational renewal does not only mean attracting completely new farmers.
Many established farms already possess land, equipment, infrastructure, knowledge and relationships developed over decades.
The challenge is ensuring that these businesses do not disappear when the present generation retires.
Farm succession therefore deserves greater attention.
There should be mechanisms that encourage older farmers to transfer viable agricultural operations to younger generations, while preserving the knowledge and experience accumulated by existing farmers.
A successful transition between generations can be as important as creating an entirely new farm.
Agriculture Is More Than an Economic Activity
When a farm disappears, Gozo potentially loses more than agricultural production.
Farmers maintain fields, rubble walls and rural landscapes. They preserve agricultural knowledge and traditions. They contribute to local food production and maintain productive activity in areas that define much of Gozo’s character.
The question of who will farm Gozo in ten years is therefore also a question about what kind of Gozo we want in ten years.
Generational renewal cannot be addressed by one scheme or one funding programme.
It requires a long-term strategy that makes access to land possible, farming economically viable, investment worthwhile and agriculture attractive enough for another generation to choose it.
GCAF will continue advocating for policies which recognise the realities facing Gozo’s farmers and which create genuine opportunities for young farmers and new entrants.
If we want locally produced food and a living agricultural landscape tomorrow, we must make it possible for someone to choose farming today.