About This Coffee
This coffee is produced by various smallholder farmer groups in Estado, a community in the subdistrict of Ermera. Producers cultivate Timor and Typica varieties on small plots of 1 to 2 hectares, on average. Their farms are located at 1,400 to 1,900 meters above sea level, which creates the ideal conditions for cultivating sweet, dense cherry. The premium we pay to producers for this coffee is significantly above what those farmers would earn by selling their coffee as cherry to the main cherry buyer in the region.
Cultivation
Though these coffees are not officially certified organic, farmers do not use any artificial fertilizers or pesticides. This is, in part, because they do not have access to them, either due to a lack of funds or the absence of any available in their region.
Trees are passively managed and grown under the shade of casuarina trees, which are also known as Australian pines and Whistling Pine trees.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
During the harvest season, producers selectively handpick cherry throughout the morning and into the late afternoon. They then bring the cherry to the village where they sort it and remove any underripe, overripe or damaged cherry. Cherry is pulped in locally-produced pulpers made from gum-wood and hammered tin to pulp the cherry.
At these elevations, nighttime temperatures during harvest time approach freezing, so fermentation time is prolonged. On average, fermentation takes about 36 hours. After fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and then dried on raised beds or tarps for 5 to 10 days.
Our in-country team inspects every bag of dry parchment. The team checks moisture content and takes samples for further evaluation. After parchment is accepted, trucks come to the village to weigh and collect the parchment and producers are paid in cash.
Our continued work in the region has been focused on collaborating with local stakeholders to increase consistency and quality through farmer trainings.
Coffee in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has had a long and tumultuous history that has seen colonization, several occupations, independence and a long and difficult path to peace. Coffee has played a role in Timor-Leste’s economy since the beginning of the country’s modern history.
While coffee production in Timor-Leste continues to expand and quality continues to improve, the climate presents difficulties. The arid weather and short rainy season make it difficult for coffee cherry to grow. On top of contrarian weather, the low nutrient-content in the soil and negligible access to fertilizers and pesticides makes it more difficult for coffee trees to thrive. The average farmer currently collects only about 500 grams of green coffee per tree (2-3 kg cherry).
Timor-Leste’s coffee industry is prevailing in the face of these difficulties. Both quality and productivity are rapidly increasing. Small changes are increasing coffee quality by leaps and bounds, while several programs, funded by NGOs, are working to fundamentally change coffee harvesting and processing in the country.
The government is also playing a role in improving coffee quality by investing in infrastructure, such as new roads, that will make transporting both cherry and parchment easier. Timor-Leste is poised to be a reliable producer of good quality and versatile coffees.
We’re proud to be active in Timor-Leste. We work alongside farmers, cooperatives and agricultural extension officers to help farmers increase yields and quality. Our goal is to work with our partners to help farmers reach an average yield of 2.5 kilograms per tree while also increasing quality. Higher production and higher quality will mean larger incomes for farmers.