Pomegranates in January. But the effects of climate change are not all sweet...

In Biblical terminology, a pomegranate is a metaphor for the richness of the promised land. But the sweetness of the fruit in January spells the promise of a Paradise Lost by the crisis of man-made climate change

Photo: Facebook, Gary Formosa
Photo: Facebook, Gary Formosa

Farmer Gary Formosa is still harvesting pomegranates from his Qormi fields in the middle of January, in what seems to be the – for want of a better word – bitter-sweet effect of man-made climate change.

Elsewhere, farmer Cane Vella is worried because convoluted weather patterns are causing his trees in Burmarrad to shed prematurely.

Both are concerned that the weather is becoming too unpredictable, with weather phenomena ranging from severe to extreme.

Malta celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Day in unseasonably, balmy weather that enticed some people to head to the beach for an uncharacteristic December dip that was less challenging than usual. The hotter than normal weather has persisted well into mid-January and rain only started to fall last week.

Although it may be nice to enjoy a freshly-cut juicy pomegranate, farmers are worried about the bitter effects the summery weather is having on agriculture.

Formosa insists the problem is not just immediate but one where weather incidents are becoming more extreme. “Last summer, the heat was so intense that the fruit trees’ leaves were burnt off.”

And the impacts are not limited to the land. “Even at sea, despite this being calamari season, we are catching squid at a smaller size than usual. It appears we are a month behind,” Formosa says.

His experience is shared by Vella. “The last time it rained, it was so heavy it ruined my rubble walls and the sudden scorching heat that followed created a variety of viruses.”

Hot December threatens farmer profits

Malcolm Borg from Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, a farmers’ association, says the winter months are normally the best months in income terms for farmers but the abnormal weather risks disrupting this pattern.

Plants and crops grow at a slower rate during the winter as temperatures drop. This suppressed production ensures prices remain high. “Winter prices are very important in the farmer’s financial year; it is when they make most profit,” Borg tells MaltaToday.

The delayed winter has not allowed trees, including vines, to rest and this is a double-edged sword. It keeps production up in winter and thus hitting profit margins but it also means that trees would not have rested enough to fully bloom in spring and summer.

Borg says the lack of rain is a “recurring habit which we have to get used to.” But this comes with its problems.

Fields that depend solely on rainwater for irrigation and which are usually used to grow wheat, will be dry, Borg says. This will reduce production and because this grain generally goes to animal feed, farmers involved in animal husbandry will have to import more feed at a higher cost.

And there is also the longer-term impact on ground water sources. Increased reliance on ground water for irrigation will further deplete this source and the inability to recharge because of a lack of rain will make it saltier, resulting in low-quality crop output.

“Both animals and plants are unaccustomed to the heat; they are unable to adjust to this new reality, which is concerning for the entire globe,” Borg says.

Top: Gary Formosa displays a pomegranate from his yield Above: Malcolm Borg
Top: Gary Formosa displays a pomegranate from his yield Above: Malcolm Borg

Science says Malta is getting hotter

The hands-on experiences farmers have of this irrational weather are borne in scientific data.

Climate expert Charles Galdies says a long-term assessment of Malta’s climate proves farmers right.

“According to the latest publication on the State of the Climate, the annual mean, maximum and minimum air temperature show a clear upward trend since 1952,” he says.

During this period, Malta’s annual mean ambient temperature is about 1.5-degrees higher, equivalent to an increase of 0.2 degrees per decade. Records also show that 80% of the warmest 20 minimum temperatures since 1952 have occurred during the last 20 years.

Galdies adds that the delayed winter this year is connected to the abnormal heat experienced throughout Europe last month.

On 19 December, an extensive air mass of high pressure established itself over northern Africa and started to extend itself over the Mediterranean and southern Europe. This, Galdies says, marked a point when record high temperatures for this time of the year were registered across most of Europe.

Galdies says Malta’s weather in the last few days is under the influence of colder air coming from the north, which explains the sudden shift in temperatures.

He predicts that due to climate change, Malta will see more of these abnormal weather patterns in the future. Climate change, he says, is the greatest issue of our time.

But is it too late to act now? For Galdies, the answer comes in how proactive countries are in tackling this issue.

“We must recognise that human activity is largely responsible for climate change and that it is up to us to act now,” he says. “Taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint and investing in renewable energy sources are two key ways that we can mitigate climate change.”

Existential threat

Malta’s Climate Change Ambassador Simone Borg spells out the urgency to act now in the face of scientific reports by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which show that life on the planet faces an existential threat unless the increase in temperature is restricted to less than 1.5 degrees Celcius.

“It’s not the case to wait,” she says. “EU member states are doing their utmost to keep on track and become more ambitious in climate action, but not the same can be said of other parties to the Paris Agreement, unfortunately.”

Governments play an important role since they are accountable for regulations and other measures to nudge the much-needed behavioural change, according to Borg. But governments cannot do it alone.

“Just as much as governments could not fight the pandemic alone, both the private sector and civil society must embrace the required changes for the transition to a decarbonized economy,” she insists.

Governments have to facilitate a “just transition”, which means that efforts to decarbonize must not leave anybody behind. Support measures must be planned carefully to ensure a transition that is fair and available and beneficial to all strata of society, she says.

“This is definitely a very challenging situation but I do believe that humanity has never been better equipped as we are now to deal with an existential threat of biblical proportions as the UN Secretary General likes to refer to it,” Borg says.

In Biblical terminology, a pomegranate is a metaphor for the richness of the promised land of Israel. The sweetness of the pomegranate enjoyed in January could very well be a reminder of a promised land lost unless humanity pulls together to stymie climate change.