A handful of soil : land tenure as a function of land degradation in Maltese valley

Abstract

Malta is a country with limited natural resources. Agricultural land has been shrinking rapidly in the post-war period while abandonment and degradation is further aggravating the problem. While the blame is generally attributed to physical conditions prevalent on the islands, few realize the important role that agricultural

land ownership and tenure has on farmers' behaviour and consequently on the well- being of the land. This is especially so when one considers the fact that most

agricultural areas need continuous maintenance. This dissertation is aimed at analyzing land degradation on agricultural land in relation to ownership patterns. The study focuses on two agriculturally productive valleys, Wied Gerzuma and Santi, found in the northwestern part of Malta. The hypothesis states that land degradation is a function of relative security of tenure. Research methodology has been based on a number of field mapping techniques aided by interviews with local farmers. The spatial distribution of the three main forms of land tenure existing in the study areas - owner occupied, land leased from government and land leased from individual landlords has been studied and correlated with the spatial pattern of land degradation within the valleys. Land degradation in the study areas has been identified through the use of a number of indicators, the most important being the condition of rubble walls, visible land abandonment and the distribution of hunting and trapping sites. It is therefore concluded that a gradient of insecurity of tenure exists in the study areas, where owner occupied land is obviously the most secure while land leased from individual landlords is the least secure. Land degradation resulted to be accentuated on land leased from private individuals thus confirming the hypothesis.