The government launched the Food Safety and Security Authority on Monday morning. This Authority will handle all functions and responsibilities related to food that were previously fragmented through a number of different agencies and authorities.

The creation of this Authority was approved by Parliament earlier this June with the aim of having a single authority handling food-related matters. The Food Safety and Security Authority (FSSA) will be the first authority dedicated to food security in the country and will also be responsible for upholding top standards and transparency within the country’s food chain.

Present for the opening of this new authority were Prime Minister Robert Abela, Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, and the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Dr. Nikolaus Kriz.

The Prime Minister of Malta remarked that “a successful country is one that recognises that the worst challenges create the greatest opportunities” and that Malta’s nearly exposed vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic is what initially led to the creation of this latest Authority.

“The pandemic saw us acknowledging a reality where our country could have no food,” Prime Minister Abela said, highlighting Malta’s dependence on other countries to import food.

With Malta importing “the absolute majority of what it consumes,” food security is very important, he observed, when one considers Malta’s insularity.

“This Authority will be providing the necessary foundations for the cogs within food production to meet the highest-level standards,” Prime Minister Abela said.

PM Abela also mentioned the importance to use agricultural land more responsibly, for all foods in the country to be safe and of quality, as well as government measures to ensure food security amidst emerging geopolitical challenges such as the Stabbiltà initiative.

Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo stated that the foundation of this single food authority was done to build trust between all stakeholders within the food chain, including consumers, producers, businesses, and the government, among others.

Minister Refalo commented that the FSSA’s mission is “ambitious but concrete”; the FSSA will safeguard public health within its processes to survey foods while acknowledging other challenges that can affect or disrupt Malta’s entire food chain, such as climate change. He added that Malta aims to remain compliant with industry standards while remaining competitive within this sector.

He thanked all participants within the food chain, including farmers, scientists, and consumers.

Speakers during this launch referenced the ramifications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on European food security, including Malta’s.

European Commissioner Hansen referenced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pointed out that in its insularity and reliance on food imports, Malta is very vulnerable to the quantity and quality of food it receives. He added that similarly, Europe is vulnerable as it still heavily depends on third countries, though this shouldn’t be the case for something so central in our everyday lives.

Commissioner Hansen said that “we cannot build a continent on an empty stomach” and highlighted the need to maintain a strong agricultural sector as “some food chains have been weaponised” by Russia in recent years. He added that in his view, this point has been slightly neglected and taken for granted over the past few years.

The Luxembourgish Commissioner noted that policymakers must be very careful with how the handle food policies, as too many rules could result in farmers losing crops. He also stated that Europe must act to incentivise young people to become farmers as overall, only 12% of EU farmers are below the age of 40; in Malta, this percentage drops to 10%, he said. Hence, Commissioner Hansen said that at the end of the month, a generation renewal strategy will be published filled with measures that aim to resolve this concern.

He added that at the moment, his team is working on making EU farmers more competitive, “by reducing red tape and empowering them to offering us with their products.”

Hansen commended the launch of the FSSA though commented on the importance it must seek to achieve between improving farmers’ competitiveness and maintaining food security and food safety.

“There is no future without food and there is no food without farmers, that is why we must bring them back to the forefront,” Commissioner Hansen said.

The Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Kriz, said that Europe’s food safety is amongst the strongest in the world, and with the foundation of the FSSA in Malta on Monday morning, Malta is helping this become even stronger.

Kriz appealed for farmers to be supported and assisted as they face significant pressures. He commented that science can be used to ease these pressures and that digital tools and AI methods can help people within the food industry better understand their risks.

“No country, farmer, or scientist can face these challenges alone,” Kriz said, “On this island, every hectare, litre of water, harvest must be handled with care. This is something Europe can learn from. Malta shows how innovation and heritage can co-exist.”

Concluding his remarks, EFSA Director Kriz told the staff within this newly launched Authority that their work will matter, even if it is not visible.

“We are stronger when we move with speed, embrace innovation and join forces. Doing that, we can build a food system that is safe, sustainable and strong. Not just for Malta but for generations to come,” Kriz said.