EkoSkola: Small island, fragile plate

As part of our EkoSkola and LEAF project, Zack Spiteri (Class 2CC) wrote an article for the Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) competition exploring food security in Malta and how innovative solutions like vertical farming in our school sensory garden can help small islands become more sustainable. His article highlights how young people can play an important role in building a greener and more secure future.

Before this year, I never really thought about where my food came from. Like many children in Malta, I grew up surrounded by warm meals and family gatherings where food felt constant and safe. I never questioned it. But through our EkoSkola and LEAF project, that feeling began to change. I started learning about food security, and at first it sounded like something only adults  or scientists would talk about. The more I explored it, the more I realised that  food security is simply about whether people will always have food to eat  (FAO, 2019).

One fact  that shocked me the most was that  Malta imports nearly 80% of its food (Eurostat, 2023). That means most of what we eat comes from other, countries arriving by ship. Local reporting made this even clearer, explaining that “Malta  imports 78% of its food, making the island extremely vulnerable to global supply shocks” (Times of Malta, 2023). Reading that made me stop and think. What if something goes wrong? What if global problems stop food from reaching us? Being a small island is beautiful, but it also makes us vulnerable. I also learned about climate change and how it is already affecting Malta. Hotter Summers, less rain, and drier soil are making farming harder (European Environment Agency, 2020). Farmers are facing less land, less water, and rising costs, and as one Maltese farmer said it clearly: “We are losing land faster than we can save it” (Times of Malta, 2022). That sentence stayed with me because it showed  me that food does not simply appear in shops. It depends on nature and people working hard every day.Instead of feeling only worried, I became curious. I wanted to know what we, especially young people, could do. That is when our EkoSkola and LEAF project became truly meaningful because I didn’t just learn about problems, I explored solutions. One of the most exciting parts was experimenting with vertical farming, a way of growing plants upwards instead of across large fields.In our school  we built our own vertical growing structure .We planted crops in layers and watched them grow, and seeing plants grow in such a small space made me realise how powerful this idea could be for a small island like Malta. Land here is limited and water is precious, so finding ways to grow more food with fewer resources is very important.

This experience completely changed the way I see food. Now when I sit at the table, I think about farmers working under the hot sun and ships crossing the sea to bring food to our island, but I also think about the possibilities we discovered in our  school project. Vertical farming gave me hope because it showed that innovation can create solutions even in countries with limited space. We didn’t need large farms or perfect conditions, yet the plants still grew. For the first time, I understood that young people are not powerless. We are not just learning about the future, we are part of shaping it. Projects like EkoSkola and LEAF shows that education can inspire action and teach us that small steps matter, such as reducing food waste, supporting local farmers, and choosing local produce (NSO, 2022). These actions may seem simple, but together they can make a difference.I began imagining a greener Malta with rooftops full of plants, shops growing their own vegetables, and communities becoming more self-sufficient. Malta may be a small island, but small places can be used as  laboratories. Big ideas, and innovation does not always come from big countries it sometimes starts in classrooms, with students who  care enough to ask questions and try new things.

This project taught me something I will always remember: the future is not something we simply wait for, it is something we build. If young people continue learning about sustainability and sharing their ideas, Malta’s future does no have to feel fragile . It can be strong, green, and hopeful.After everything I have learned , I truly believe this is a small island which can still grow big solutions, and maybe one day, thanks to ideas that started in the shools like ours,Malta will not just depends on the world for food but will help grow its own future.

Referances

1. (2023). Food import dependency data for Malta.

2. European Environment Agency .(2020).Climate change impacts in Mediterranean regions.

3. FAQ-Food and Agriculture Orgnization.(2019)Food security in small island states.

4. National Statistics Office (NSO).(2022).Food waste statistics for Malta.

5. Ekoskola Malta (2023).Sustainability education resources.

6. LEAF –Linking Environment and Farming (2022).Sustainable farming and vertical agriculture education materials.

7. Times of Malta (2022-2023).Articles on food imports ,farming challenges and rising food prices.