Speaker Anġlu Farrugia: “The Fight Against Hunger Must Become A Moral And Legislative Duty – Not Just Words Of Love Without Action”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anġlu Farrugia, opened a special plenary session in Parliament to mark World Food Day, where he warned that hunger remains one of the greatest contradictions of the modern era. He emphasised that despite the world’s technological and scientific progress, hunger and food waste continue to represent a global failure of solidarity and justice with millions of tonnes of food discarded every year while millions of people still wait for a simple meal to survive.

Speaker Farrugia stated that hunger is not a product of nature but rather a result of poor judgement and lack of political will to share what we have. He referred to situations in places such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, the Sahel, and other regions, where hunger stems not only from droughts or floods but also from armed conflicts and obstacles to humanitarian aid. He added that even in wealthy societies, food waste has become part of everyday convenience, showing that scarcity and abundance are two sides of the same problem.

In his address, the Speaker stressed the need to use innovation and technology with a sense of justice and solidarity. He mentioned several systems such as those that extract water from air, polymer-based soil additives that retain moisture, and the reuse of treated water like “New Water” — as examples of practical solutions that should be made accessible to all humanity. According to him, Malta has both the experience and knowledge to play a leading role in this transformation, particularly in sustainable water management and agriculture across the Mediterranean and Africa.

Speaker Farrugia praised the Maltese Government’s efforts to address food waste through initiatives such as the Long-Term Waste Management Plan 2021–2030 and the Malta Strategy for Resilient Food Systems. He acknowledged the work of the Malta Food Agency, the Żomm Tarmix initiative, and the digital platform that facilitates the safe redistribution of surplus food. He also welcomed with satisfaction the draft bill on food waste presented by Ivan Bartolo, noting that it could represent an important step toward a more comprehensive legislative framework based on cooperation between Government and Opposition.

In conclusion, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia declared that the fight against hunger must become both a moral and a legal duty, with parliaments acting as the force that unites words with action and compels governments to fulfil their promises. He asserted that food should be recognised as a legal right, not a privilege for the few, and that the true measure of humanity lies not in how much we speak about hunger, but in how much we reduce it.

The conference was also addressed by Opposition Spokesperson for the Environment Rebekah Borg; Opposition Spokesperson for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Transport Toni Bezzina; Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said; Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Anton Refalo; as well as several local and foreign speakers.