Rural pilot 9: Malta
Rural district description
Malta is the smallest EU country - being only 313 sq. km in size, it takes less than an hour to drive from one end of the main island to the other. Maltese agriculture faces substantial challenges caused by its peripherality, lack of natural resources, land over-development, and ultimately makes it an unattractive career prospect. There is a vital need to invest in the sector’s workforce, to support it in harnessing the opportunities of the digital revolution, and ensure the continuation of Maltese agriculture and its intrinsic ties to the islands’ landscape and cultural heritage.
Challenge description
Digital transformation and Entrepreneurial capacity building in the rural areas of Malta and Gozo (the second Maltese island) targeting the Agricultural sector. The main concept is to help "level up" the agricultural and rural sector in Malta and Gozo by providing knowledge and capacity building opportunities to improve their digitisation aspects and also to push more entrepreneurial skills towards the youth sector. Together with linking between rural-urban aspects, this should help lessen the "brain drain" that rural villages see within Malta or even towards other EU countries.
Anticipated result
From 2010 to 2020, the agricultural labour force declined by 26.7% - in 2022, there were only 1,200 registered young farmers (under 40). Our pilot will lead to capacity building activities that will enhance the digital and entrepreneurial skills of the existing workforce, through tailored and targeted capacity building interventions, in the aim of decreasing the rapid brain and skill drain from the sector and retain its value for the population.
Related news
Mobilise Call Now Open for Applications!
PoliRuralPlus is excited to announce that the Mobilise Call, the second in our series of open calls, is now officially open! This call focuses on leveraging AI for community-driven innovation, suppor
Read more
PoliRuralPlus & the future of European Agriculture
The European Commission’s latest Strategic Dialogue Report 2024 highlights crucial challenges and recommendations for the future of agriculture, rural areas, and the broader food system in Europe. As
Read moreRelated blogs
AgriFusion: Exploring Opportunities for Malta's Agricultural Sector
The AgriFusion initiative was a small-scale effort aimed at fostering discussions on challenges and opportunities in Malta’s agricultural sector. Led by The Veg Box Ltd and supported by the PoliRur
Read more
AgriFusion: A Present for Malta's Agricultural Future
AgriFusion: A Present for Malta’s Agricultural FutureWinner of the PoliRuralPlus Outreach Call for MaltaIn Malta’s picturesque yet densely populated landscape, agriculture — a cornerstone of its rura
Read more