Goulala

The coffee is hand-picked and pulped, fermented for 24-48 hours and hand-washed in the local wet mill. Only the best crops are carefully sourced by grower Manuel da Costa Silva and quality controller Señor Domingos Sarmento, who both fought bravely in the East Timor Resistance Army.

Clean parchment is then dried on tarps of 160+ raised beds. Manuel (in the middle) might be the silent type, but he’s a true model farmer setting an example in the community of producers on how to cultivate, process and dry coffee to the highest standards.

It became the genetic foundation for almost all leaf mould resistant varieties around the world.

The country’s economic development has suffered greatly from political turmoil and 24 long year long Indonesian occupation that cost the lives of more than 250,000 people.Last year, in conjunction with MTC we launched this Australian – Timor collaboration. We have a wish to work together towards a common goal: a fantastic cup, improved livelihoods and economic sustainability for the farmers. We’re overjoyed to share with you the impact you helped us make. Sucafina’s donated equipment improved the quality of this year’s lot immensely (you’ll taste it). Now it’s all about improving yields through agronomy training that will teach growers how to reach full potential of the trees (currently it’s 10% of what it could be). You too can support this initiative, one coffee bag at a time.

East Timor has a long and fascinating coffee history. In the 1920’s, a spontaneous cross between robusta and arabica was discovered – the Timor Hybrid. It became the genetic foundation for almost all leaf mould resistant varieties around the world. The country’s economic development has suffered greatly from political turmoil and 24 long year long Indonesian occupation that cost the lives of more than 250,000 people.