First webinar sets stage for the MaYA Agri-Tech Ideathon
- MaYA Foundation
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Building on earlier preparations under the PoliRuralPlus project, Malta has launched its contribution with the first in a series of webinars organised by the Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation (MaYA). Held on the 5th of September 2025, an introductory online session marked the beginning of Malta’s contribution to a Europe-wide initiative exploring how AI and digital tools can transform rural-urban linkages and address the pressing challenges facing agriculture. The webinar was followed by lively exchanges among participants and will lead into a second online event on the 23rd of September, before culminating in the in-person Agri-Tech Ideathon on Friday 3rd October 2025.
Aims of the Webinar
The opening webinar set the stage for Malta’s involvement in PoliRuralPlus, focusing on the Mobilise phase of the project - a stage dedicated to bringing stakeholders together, raising awareness, and sparking ideas that can later be developed into concrete innovations.
Christian Borg, who coordinates Communications and Development at MaYA introduced the event, underlining the importance of community-driven innovation and the value of creating solutions that go beyond traditional farming models. He also explained the role of MaYA in empowering Malta’s youth in agriculture and how the foundation is mobilising a wide network of stakeholders to make the initiative a success.
This was followed by Maria Elena Muscat of AcrossLimits, Malta’s regional project manager for PoliRuralPlus, who provided an overview of the project’s goals, phases, and European dimension. She explained how the project combines AI tools, regional foresight, and multi-actor collaboration to co-design future-oriented action plans that can make rural areas more resilient and attractive.
Understanding Malta’s Agricultural Context
The webinar then zoomed in on Malta’s local situation. Neil Joseph Tirchett from MaYA presented an overview of Malta’s agricultural sector and the key structural issues it faces, including:
the small size and fragmented nature of holdings,
high population density and land development pressures,
declining numbers of young farmers, and
limited use of irrigation and precision farming.
Against this backdrop, he introduced the three main challenges chosen as the focus of Malta’s Agri-Tech Ideathon:
Access to Agricultural Land – idle and fragmented land, ownership disputes, and speculation making farming inaccessible for new entrants.
Market Access & Digital Integration – reliance on intermediaries and underuse of digital platforms, leaving farmers with limited bargaining power.
Climate & Water Resilience – Malta’s status as one of Europe’s most water-scarce countries, with rainfall variability and climate change threatening long-term sustainability.
A Participatory Space
The session was attended by a diverse mix of stakeholders, including farmers, students, NGO representatives, environmental experts, policymakers, and entrepreneurs. Attendees were invited to introduce themselves and share their motivations. Contributions ranged from students studying AI in agriculture and sustainability internationally, to entrepreneurs exploring innovative farming techniques, and next-generation farmers preparing to contribute to their family farms.
Next Steps
The first webinar closed with an invitation for participants to stay engaged through upcoming activities. The second webinar on the 23rd September will focus on preparing participants for the in-person Ideathon on 3 October 2025. The Ideathon will be the space where creative, AI-driven solutions are co-designed to address the three national challenges identified.
Participants were encouraged to remain active in the project’s communication channels, share news of the events with their networks, and invite other stakeholders such as farmers, breeders, policy makers, and tech experts to join.
Registration for the upcoming events is available at: www.maya.org.mt/ideathon