Raimutin | Natural | Timor-Leste

This coffee won gold medal for natural coffees in Timor-Leste's national quality competition! Right on!

Cherry is first floated in water, to separate the fruit by density. The higher the density, the higher the quality of the coffee. This leaves the low-density, less mature cherries to float to the surface, which are easily removed from the water. 

The Raimutin station staff then meticulously hand-sort the freshly picked and sorted cherry, removing all damaged or underripe fruit. The cherry is then transported to raised beds, where they are dried in high sun for three weeks. The staff turn the lots regularly to ensure even airflow and sun contact. When the cherries have reached their perfect drying level, the seeds are removed from the cherry and prepared for export. 

The remaining cherry is not discarded, rather, it is saved for redistribution as fertiliser to the farmers who grew them.

The Context (from Raw Material)

Having found its sovereignty in 2002, Timor-Leste is one of the world’s youngest countries. As the country finds stability, the development of the agriculture sector is rapidly becoming an important pillar for the structural transformation of the country’s economy.

Timor-Leste currently faces enormous economic upheaval, as its oil reserves begin to run dry. In its place, coffee is set to become that nation’s most vital export. In Timor-Leste, our work is currently focussed namely in the municipality of Ermera. One of thirteen municipalities in the country, it is home to the largest coffee production volumes, whilst almost 60% of the municipality's population live below the poverty line.

Coffee is Timor-Leste’s most important crop, and with the end of oil income, improving the coffee sector is of critical importance. Coffee is the second-highest earner for the country after oil, with 37% of households dependent on coffee for income.

However, productivity is extremely low, alongside profitability which is both low and volatile. This is because almost all coffee is sold in the commodity market for a discounted C price. Globally, we use a framework to compare options of where and how we work in terms of potential for economic and social impact.

We met with groups of producers in villages across Atsabe to hear about how the coffee market has served them in recent history.

• Carbon neutral production
• Post-consumer wastemade pouches from a minimum of 83% recycled material
• Recycle with bags at larger supermarkets (4 LDPE)
• Remove label if possible (don't worry if not, we've ensured it's under the industry standard 5% of the whole item, so it can be recycled)