East Timor Coffee Growers (ETCG)

Investment Plan

Vision Statement

• East Timor Coffee Growers (ETCG) seeks to provide a sustainable co-operative of farmers the financial, educational and agricultural tools to promote financial independence, organic and sustainable farming, and an overall better way of life for the farmers of Timor- Leste.

Product Definition• Co-operative - An enterprise or organization that is owned or

managed jointly by those who use its facilities or services.• Assist in growing and marketing of organic coffee• Establish a coffee growing co-operative in East Timor to

promote local organic coffee • Help establish techniques for improving future yields• Provide financial education to farmers to ensure future

economics growth • Identifying and arranging for the organic certification for

participating growers

Product Definition

• Improving quality of organic coffee grown • Improving the operation of cooperative growers• Planting and cultivating alternatives including vanilla and

cattle fattening• Assisting agricultural management practices and

product marketing• Implementing and encouraging organic growing practice• Establishing and promoting a distinguishable brand of

Timor Coffee

Product Definition

• Decreasing unemployment rate through creation of permanent jobs

• Setting up wet processing factories for coffee• Improving efficiency of export process• Setting up a dry-processing factory for coffee

Organic Certification Requirements

• Location of the coffee production area must be clearly delineated, inspected and certified annually.

• The areas must be free from contamination or influence from synthetic chemicals or pesticides.

• Buffer zone is required between organic crops and other crops where inorganic fertilizers and pesticides are used or sprayed.

Organic Certification Requirements

• The pattern of cropping is to plant shade trees 2-3.5 years in advance, after which the coffee is planted in a traditional, random arrangement.

• The coffee is not planted as seeds but as self-sown seedlings, which are collected from existing production areas.

Organic Certification Requirements

• The varieties or clones to be grown should be adapted to the soil conditions and local climate as well as being resistant to pests and diseases.

• Local farmers plant arabica and robusto coffees• Local shade trees include Casuarina

junghuhniana and Paraserianthes falcataria.

Organic Certification Requirements

• Soil fertility is increased and maintained by returning adequate organic matter to the soil from other organic gardens, compost, animal manure, plant wastes, green manure or other mulches.

• Crop and animal residues may need to be composted to make the nutrients available.

• The shade trees used in East Timor also fix atmospheric nitrogen and enrich the nitrogen status of the soil

Organic Certification Requirements

• Pest and disease problems are considered in relation to the overall agricultural ecosystem management, which aims to limit the use of even organic pesticides by focusing on integrated pest management through resistant varieties, rotation of varieties, and mixtures to encourage natural predators, parasites and pathogens.