ADPD highlights ‘grossly inconsistent environmental policy’
The inconsistency in the government’s environmental policy reigns supreme, the ADPD insisted on Saturday
On the one hand it states that it wants to reduce the use of private vehicles and on the other hand it approves projects that not only eat up agricultural land but also encourage the use of ADPD cars – said the Chairperson of the Party of Greens Carmel Cacopardo at a news conference. at the site of the proposed building of a supermarket on agricultural land outside the development zone (ODZ) in Qormi.
The Deputy Chairperson of the ADPD Sandra Gauci said that Qormi was again targeted for the destruction of a large area of agricultural land in an ODZ area – an application was submitted for the construction of a supermarket on this site.
It is a known fact that agricultural land has not only an economic value but also an environmental and social one – it is not only the main source of income for a number of families but the few green spaces we have left provide a breather. space between the crowded urban areas in our country.
Therefore one wonders why this repeated attack on agricultural land is allowed to continue with the blessing of the Planning Authority which allows the destruction of such land? This attack was made through the extension of unnecessary road infrastructure and the transformation of considerable agricultural tracts into ‘recreational areas’ at the expense of agriculture.
The Planning Authority has the legal mandate to stop this but has continually failed to act. This madness must be stopped immediately, before it is too late, stressed Gauci.
Carmel Cacopardo said that the Ministry for Agriculture recognizes that the eco-system of our country is slowly being eroded. Indeed in the introduction of a White Paper on Agricultural Land Reform published for public consultation by the same ministry in October it says:
“The control of land acquisition and ownership is fundamental to guarantee the sustainability of agricultural and food production, as well as the protection of the rural environment. For this reason, whenever there are issues in this area, they not only affect farmers but also have a strong impact on food supply and security and the quality of the environment that can ‘ society enjoys. When land acquisition and ownership are not controlled, there is a risk that farmers will lose agricultural land, to the detriment of their livelihood, as well as to the country’s ability to produce food and safeguard the rural environment.”
Therefore one is forced to ask: what is holding back the Ministry for Agriculture from stopping other ministries from continuing with the unrestrained destruction of agricultural land? Why does it not declare itself against the continued approval of applicants by the Planning Authority? And this is not the only contradiction.
It is the government’s stated strategy – as announced by the Ministry for the Environment – to reduce the number of cars on the road by 41% by 2030. But then we are faced with multiple projects for supermarkets that not only destroy arable land but encourage its use. of private cars! This inconsistency is responsible for the state of the environment in Malta.
The Ministry of Agriculture must take the necessary action to ensure that the high ideals expressed in the documents are carried out in practice by ensuring that the public projects as well as the policies carried out by government agencies and institutions take into account the intrinsic value of agricultural land in their decisions, concludes Cacopardo.