Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Anton Refalo visited a project where animal skins that were once discarded are now being processed into parchment with the aim of being used in the conservation of historical manuscripts in the Archives of Notarial Registers.
This project is being carried out in collaboration between the Public Abattoir and the Foundation for Notarial Archives. The two entities are training to revive the production of parchment in Malta, an artisanal work that was practiced in Malta hundreds of years ago, but which has been lost over time.
Minister Refalo said that “the transformation of skins, by-products that until today are discarded, is a work that demonstrates our commitment as a Government to both sustainability and cultural preservation.” The project will help reduce waste, pollution and the impact of the agricultural sector on the environment. At the same time, farmers will be able to obtain more value for their production as they will be able to sell the hides for processing into parchment.
The Director General of the Public Abattoir Stefan Cachia explained that the project continues to build on the Abattoir’s work to be more sustainable in its operations by reducing the disposal of material that could have another use.
The President of the Foundation for Notarial Archives Dr Joan Abela said that it is gratifying to see how this collaboration has translated into an opportunity to, while supporting sustainable practices in the agricultural sector, give new life to traditional crafts. The general public also had the opportunity to closely follow the way parchment is made during the third edition of the Meat Festival which took place at the Public Slaughterhouse yesterday.
The Meat Festival, which was attended by hundreds of people, also aims to celebrate the quality of local meat, in the context of a feast for the whole family.
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