Water uses and security in Malta’s agricultural sector : analysing linkages between water and food security

Abstract

There are water and food insecurity challenges across the world, albeit to varying degrees. Globally, agriculture accounts for the largest consumptive fresh water use and withdrawal; this is also the case in Malta. According to the Water Exploitation Index, Malta is considered to be water stressed, with a semi-arid climate. This study aimed to analyse water use and perceptions of water (in)security within the agricultural community in Malta, as well as broader linkages between water and food security in the Maltese Islands. Farmers were interviewed in order to explore their views on Malta’s water constraints, and their willingness to possibly adopt less water intensive practices (such as cultivation of alternative crops and potential use of treated sewage effluent (TSE)). Results indicate that there are different levels of knowledge of water constraints and differing levels of willingness to change practices. In general, interviewed farmers appear to be well aware of Malta’s water constraints and feel that rainwater patterns, in particular, directly affect their livelihoods. However, some farmers appear to have misconceptions about local water sources, and there is also a high level of mistrust of potential alternative water sources, such as TSE. Interviews also revealed important underlying concerns within the sector, including sectoral and governmental management issues, which limit farmers’ willingness and/or ability to alter their practices. Research data collected from the National Statistics Office was used to analyse trade and patterns in agricultural produce, with results indicating that water insecurity would make Malta even more dependent on food imports than is presently the case, potentially increasing food insecurity. Key recommendations emerging from this study include the need for more locally-relevant data related to water use in agriculture (e.g. crop water requirement data) and the importance of addressing farmer concerns related to governance and management of the sector in order to facilitate a transition to less water-intensive practices.