Agricultural and on-farm nature tourism can be characterised as businesses conducted by farmers at their working agricultural operations for the enjoyment and education of visitors.

Agricultural and nature tourism have the potential to generate increased on-farm revenues and, given strategic management, might increase farm profitability. Additionally, since the majority of the general population may have little or no contact with agriculture, on-farm tourism also is one way by which non-farmers can learn about agriculture and, in turn, support farm products by increased purchases made directly or indirectly from family farms. This is particularly so in Malta, since the country’s small size places farms within reach of the general public.

For generations, agro-tourism has existed in the Maltese islands, especially with the advent of the car, whereby townsfolk would visit the countryside at the weekends to go for a stroll and, at the same time, buy fresh produce from the farmers. It was common for our city-dwellers to take their children to the countryside in the spring to buy fresh strawberries direct from the farmers, especially in the north or west of Malta.

Nowadays, agro-tourism has changed and has developed into an important part of the tourist sector in the Mediterranean. This is particularly so in certain remote areas and small islands in the Mediterranean region where there is little else to see but the beautiful countryside and picturesque sight of well-kept fields and valleys edged by trees.

And it is for this reason that most agri-tourists visit these areas. To get away from it all. To spend time close to nature in a relaxed environment. And where better to do this than on a farm, with the farmers, and at the same time eat fresh produce that has just been harvested from the field.

This has particularly been the case in Malta, where on Sundays the countryside is flooded with people wanting to get away from the built-up areas, and with mild weather such as ours, the countryside is frequented for a good eight months of the year – from October to May. Some farmers have seen an economic opportunity through this weekly exodus by selling their produce direct to the consumer, thus by-passing the middleman. Some have developed the idea even further and have set up a restaurant close to the farm. Fresh vegetables, a lettuce for example, served at this restaurant would only have been cut literally minutes earlier.

The added advantage of agro-tourism in the Maltese Islands is that since the island is small, the tourist can link a visit to a farm with a cultural visit to a historical or archaeological site.Malta’s entry into the European Union has given us greater opportunities to advance this sector, both through existing legislation, and through financial aid to farmers. Although there is as yet no legislation governing agro tourism in the Maltese Islands, several preliminary steps have been taken to lay the Foundations for a sound agro-touristic sector.

Firstly, through the first Rural Development Plan, a serious attempt was made at restructuring the agricultural sector. This has been done through the Agri-Environment Scheme, with the Rubble Walls measure, and the Organic Farming measure. In the first measure, EU funds were made available to farmers to restore collapsed rubble walls, and thus enhance the landscape, while through the Organic Farming measure, farmers were rewarded for adopting environmentally friendly practises.

In fact, out of the six certified farms in 2005, four of them are in various stages of starting agro-touristic ventures. Moreover, through the measure technically referred to as measure 3.1 of the Rural Development Plan – Investments in Agricultural Holdings – farmers were given the opportunity to restructure and upgrade their equipment and establishments.

One such farm, that has made use of such a scheme, is an organic farm in the area of Fawwara, Siggiewi. Within a year, this farmer has not only managed to produce high quality organic extra virgin olive oil, which is fully certified, but he has also attracted a lot of interest in his farm, that happens to be in a protected area next to the coast, and as a result he is receiving close to 50 visitors a week.

Thus through his venture, he is not only promoting an environmentally friendly agricultural practice in an environmentally sensitive area, but he is also attracting a lot of visitors to this remote part of the Maltese countryside. As a result of his example, several other farmers have shown interest in converting to organic farming and engaging in agro-tourism, since they can see that it is a profitable sector.

In this new age that is facing the Maltese agricultural sector, such farmers act as a beacon to the rest of the farming community. The advent of EU membership has brought with it an open market, where the best way to thrive in agriculture is to innovate and exploit our knowledge and natural heritage in a sustainable way, by exploiting new agri-business opportunities such as those given to us through agro-tourism.

Dr Agius is Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries