6
J. Zahra and M. C. Mifsud
about the necessary changes, overcoming silence. Freire believed that everyone has
knowledge to offer and contribute towards learning. Adult education should offer the
opportunity for the participants and adult educators to work on the same level, sharing
their power, feeling comfortable to share and communicate their ideas effectively.
“Through what Freire calls ‘a pedagogy of question’, adult learners are given an
opportunity to reflect more critically upon their experiences and begin to re-shape
their ideas, experiences and visions of the world” (Mayo, as cited in Clover 2002).
Looking for means of raising awareness amongst farmers, the questions asked
during interviews for this study, sought to encourage reflection about one’s practice,
questioning whether there are more sustainable means or not. Engel and Engel (2012)
discuss how the ultimate agents who ought to bring about change are the members of
the community, in this case, a community of farmers who are to adopt new practices
and implement other measures to cope with global issues, such as the threats of
global warming. Farmers are the key stakeholders whose decisions will directly
impact “either the environmental conservation or degradation” thus adequate training
on developing and meeting their needs sustainably is essential (Freitas et al. 2015,
p. 324).
University research may help minimise the gap between the higher institutions
and public entities, in this case farmers. Researching means and ways of effectively communicating and implementing sustainable farming strategies, is essential
to guarantee a sustainable future. “The preservation of the environment depends on
an ecological awareness, which depends on education,” (Gadotti 2009, p. 108) and
through such training courses the participants are encouraged to awaken their relationship with nature, feeling the need to protect and preserve its resources, becoming
conscious of their own practices (Gadotti 2009).
Caruana (2015) through his four case studies set in the Mediterranean context,
states that one of the roles of Environmental Education is to help encourage the shift
from the dominant paradigm of thinking, which predominantly deals with issues
of unsustainable farming practices where profit is given priority, to an emerging
paradigm where one’s behaviour is more in line with their values, encouraging
commitment through community solutions, motivating one another. ESD allows for
community-dialogues, whereas the emerging paradigms, which are more sustainable,
are not only discussed, but also implemented at a community level. When it comes to
adult education, “passion and motivation seem to be crucial” (Caruana 2015, p. 671)
in encouraging a shift in mind-sets towards more sustainable measures.
2.4 Agriculture in Malta
Agricultural land in Malta takes up around 110 km
2 , with 9370 total holdings, characterised by small scale holdings (average of 1.2 ha). It contributes to 1.7% of Malta’s
economy and 2.9% of total employment (EU 2016).
The latest official statistics collected with regards to the farming population was
through the Census of Agriculture and was last carried out in 2010 (NSO 2012),
J. Zahra and M. C. Mifsud
about the necessary changes, overcoming silence. Freire believed that everyone has
knowledge to offer and contribute towards learning. Adult education should offer the
opportunity for the participants and adult educators to work on the same level, sharing
their power, feeling comfortable to share and communicate their ideas effectively.
“Through what Freire calls ‘a pedagogy of question’, adult learners are given an
opportunity to reflect more critically upon their experiences and begin to re-shape
their ideas, experiences and visions of the world” (Mayo, as cited in Clover 2002).
Looking for means of raising awareness amongst farmers, the questions asked
during interviews for this study, sought to encourage reflection about one’s practice,
questioning whether there are more sustainable means or not. Engel and Engel (2012)
discuss how the ultimate agents who ought to bring about change are the members of
the community, in this case, a community of farmers who are to adopt new practices
and implement other measures to cope with global issues, such as the threats of
global warming. Farmers are the key stakeholders whose decisions will directly
impact “either the environmental conservation or degradation” thus adequate training
on developing and meeting their needs sustainably is essential (Freitas et al. 2015,
p. 324).
University research may help minimise the gap between the higher institutions
and public entities, in this case farmers. Researching means and ways of effectively communicating and implementing sustainable farming strategies, is essential
to guarantee a sustainable future. “The preservation of the environment depends on
an ecological awareness, which depends on education,” (Gadotti 2009, p. 108) and
through such training courses the participants are encouraged to awaken their relationship with nature, feeling the need to protect and preserve its resources, becoming
conscious of their own practices (Gadotti 2009).
Caruana (2015) through his four case studies set in the Mediterranean context,
states that one of the roles of Environmental Education is to help encourage the shift
from the dominant paradigm of thinking, which predominantly deals with issues
of unsustainable farming practices where profit is given priority, to an emerging
paradigm where one’s behaviour is more in line with their values, encouraging
commitment through community solutions, motivating one another. ESD allows for
community-dialogues, whereas the emerging paradigms, which are more sustainable,
are not only discussed, but also implemented at a community level. When it comes to
adult education, “passion and motivation seem to be crucial” (Caruana 2015, p. 671)
in encouraging a shift in mind-sets towards more sustainable measures.
2.4 Agriculture in Malta
Agricultural land in Malta takes up around 110 km
2 , with 9370 total holdings, characterised by small scale holdings (average of 1.2 ha). It contributes to 1.7% of Malta’s
economy and 2.9% of total employment (EU 2016).
The latest official statistics collected with regards to the farming population was
through the Census of Agriculture and was last carried out in 2010 (NSO 2012),