Waqt it-tnedija tal-istudju nazzjonali fuq l-aċċess għal ikel bnin, nadif u ġust, ippubblikat mill-Osservartorju Nazzjonali għall-Għajxien Xieraq u ċ-Ċentru Nazzjonali għar-Riċerka tal-Familja, fi ħdan il-Fondazzjoni tal-President għall-Ġid tas-Soċjetà, il-President ta’ Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca qalet li huwa d-dritt tal-poplu tagħna li jkabbar, ibiegħ u jiekol ikel bnin, nadif u ġust. Il-President spjegat kif dan l-istudju, li qiegħed jiġi mniedi llum, janalizza l-aċċess għal ikel bnin, nadif u ġust.
Il-President tkellmet dwar wieħed mill-indikaturi ewlenin li ħareġ minn dan l-istudju, iġifieri dwar il-fatt li nstab li l-ikel huwa l-akbar spiża li għandha familja ta’ erba’ persuni, instab li familja ta’ erbgħa minn nies trid tonfoq aktar minn €500 fix-xahar biex tiekol ikel bnin. Instab ukoll li dan l-ammont inaqqas l-aċċess għall-ikel bnin għal numru ta’ familji f’pajjiżna. Dan ifisser li dawn il-familji huma f’riskju li jsofru minn vulnerabbiltà u li jgħixu f’sitwazzjoni prekarja.
Il-President Coleiro Preca qalet ukoll li l-ikel li nieklu għandu impatt qawwi fuq il-kwalità u fuq it-tul tal-ħajja tal-individwi. Irreferiet ukoll għal indikaturi oħra li joħorġu minn studji oħrajn bħalma hi l-kwistjoni ta’ l-obeżità qawwija f’pajjiżna u l-fatt li nofs l-imwiet f’pajjiżna huma kawża ta’ mard kardjovaskulari, li jfisser li l-kwistjoni tal-aċċess għal ikel bnin, nadif u ġust hija kwistjoni ta’ importanza kbira, fit-twettiq tal-ġustizzja soċjali.
“Food justice is a human right” – President Coleiro Preca
During the launch of the ‘National Study on Access to Health, Clean and Fair Food’—published by the National Observatory for Living with Dignity and the National Centre for Family Research, within the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society—President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said that it is the right of each and every person to grow, sell and eat healthy, clean and fair food.
The President explained that this study analyses access to healthy, clean and fair food.
She also spoke about one of the main indicators of this study, which states that food is the largest expense which a family of four has. The research shows that, a family of four needs to spend more than €500 monthly in order to eat healthy food. It also resulted that this expense negatively affects access to healthy food for a number of families, which means that these families are at risk of suffering vulnerabilities and living in a precarious situation.
President Coleiro Preca also said that the food we eat impacts quality of life, and the life expectancy of each individual. She also referred to other indicators which resulted from other research studies, such as the high obesity rate in Malta and the fact that cardiovascular diseases are the cause of half of the deaths in Malta. These indicators show that the issue of access to healthy, clean and fair food is an issue of paramount importance for the achievement of social justice.