The European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) has published a new position paper, “From Stagnation to Adaptation: Young Farmers’ Call to Accelerate Climate Resilience,” calling for stronger and faster action to help European farmers adapt to climate change.
The paper addresses several challenges that are particularly relevant to agriculture in Gozo, including water scarcity, extreme heat, investment costs, farm infrastructure and the future viability of young and small farmers.
Building water resilience
Water availability is becoming an increasingly important challenge for Mediterranean agriculture. Longer dry periods, higher temperatures and irregular rainfall place additional pressure on agricultural production.
CEJA highlights the need for investment in solutions including water reservoirs, rainwater collection, drip and precision irrigation, reuse of wells and reservoirs, and desalination where appropriate.
For Gozo, strengthening water resilience is essential not only from an environmental perspective but also for protecting local agricultural production and food security.
Helping farms adapt to extreme heat
Climate adaptation is equally important for the livestock sector.
Increasing temperatures can affect animal welfare, productivity and farm operating costs. CEJA therefore highlights measures such as improved livestock housing, ventilation and cooling systems.
Supporting farmers in making these investments will become increasingly important as Gozo experiences hotter and more challenging climatic conditions.
The challenge for small and fragmented farms
CEJA also draws attention to the difficulties of farming isolated plots and areas where adequate infrastructure may be lacking.
This has clear relevance to Gozo, where agricultural land is often divided into small and fragmented holdings. Investments in irrigation, infrastructure, machinery and climate adaptation can consequently represent a disproportionately high cost for smaller producers.
Without appropriate support, these pressures can undermine farm viability and contribute to agricultural land being abandoned.
Climate resilience and the next generation
The transition towards more climate-resilient agriculture must also be considered alongside the challenge of generational renewal.
Young farmers cannot reasonably be expected to enter or expand agricultural businesses while simultaneously carrying the full cost of adapting those businesses to increasingly difficult climatic conditions.
CEJA therefore calls for stronger investment support, improved access to finance, risk-management instruments and advisory services, together with appropriate support through the future Common Agricultural Policy.
Gozo’s realities must be recognised
For the Gozo Confederation for Agriculture and Fisheries (GCAF), the discussion reinforces the importance of ensuring that European and national agricultural policies recognise the particular circumstances of small islands.
Gozo combines limited land and water resources with fragmented agricultural holdings, restricted economies of scale and increasing exposure to heat, drought and unpredictable weather.
Climate policy must therefore translate into practical investment on the ground.
Greater support for water infrastructure, efficient irrigation, climate-resilient farm infrastructure, livestock adaptation and young farmers will be essential if Gozo is to maintain a viable agricultural sector in the decades ahead.
Climate resilience is ultimately not only about adapting to changing weather. It is about ensuring that farming remains economically viable and attractive to the next generation.
GCAF will continue to follow developments at European level and advocate for policies that recognise the specific realities facing Gozo’s agricultural community.
Read the CEJA position paper:
From Stagnation to Adaptation: Young Farmers’ Call to Accelerate Climate Resilience.