Specialty coffee as a conduit for change; providing renewable energy in Timor-Leste
We are building 100% solar powered coffee processing hubs in remote Timor-Leste communities, to empower those currently living off grid; through clean, efficient and sustainable coffee processing. This will lead to providing electricity all year round, to support existing industry, and facilitate future local services beyond coffee.
This project is a collaboration with us here at Raw Material, Business Partnerships Platform, Engineers Without Borders Australia and with support from the Australian Government. The project is aligned with the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan that aims by 2030, which seeks to achieve 50% of the country’s energy from renewable sources.
We had the incredible opportunity to present the project at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. You can watch the presentation below, hosted by Felisbela Guterres Pires of Engineers Without Borders Australia, and Matt Graylee of Raw Material. Scroll down for the full article.
Why is coffee important for the future of Timor-Leste?
In 2002, Timor-Leste became the first new independent state of this century. By independence the country had seen 25 years of conflict which claimed 200,000 lives. The war destroyed all infrastructure and pushed many into extreme poverty. Today, Timor-Leste is the most oil-reliant country in the world for income. But oil is drying up fast. And so as the country’s most important and profitable crop, the coffee sector requires vital development and resources.
Coffee is both culturally and economically vital in Timor-Leste, where nearly 40% of the population is involved in its production. Even so, access to high value markets is limited for those who would benefit most from it. Most live below the poverty line and where we focus our work, household incomes sit between $2 and $500 for the year. In this region, Ermera, over 50% of households there rely on coffee for most of their income. And for over 25% of this group, almost all of their income comes from coffee.
How is this project structured?
This project is multifaceted and seeks to transform livelihoods both in and outside of the coffee sector
The three key areas of focus are as follows: to provide renewable solar energy all year round, to replant the land to increase yields and bring market access to these remote communities. Our project aims to improve household incomes through access to the specialty market, whilst simultaneously improving the environment.
Step One:
Solar powered processing hubs
We begin by installing solar arrays. This process has already begun, at the processing hubs of two off-grid communities you may know well, Raimutin and Koileki.
The solar powered systems will provide a total output of 34 kW in peak times, as well as 20 kW solar batteries. This will allow us to upgrade the processing facilities to gradually scale the production of specialty market quality coffees. This allows the project to be scaled in the future, which can be carried out by local teams who have participated in this initial pilot program.
As a tropical country, Timor-Leste has abundant opportunities to harness solar. Putting this to best use reduces carbon emissions, by avoiding the use of fossil fuel diesel run generators. This one change contributes to the reduction of emission of approximately 40 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Outside of the coffee season, access to power will support local industries such as welding, reducing reliance on imported equipment for infrastructure which we will also need, as the project scales.
Solar’s benefits continue
This energy will provide simple utilities that these communities will benefit from; from the refrigeration of fresh produce, phone charging stations, and satellite internet connections.
This can also enable remote working, retaining talent and cultural knowledge within the community. It important that we promote inclusive development, supporting women and people living with disabilities through training and employment. So far, we have completed several community consultations to collaborate with those who will interact with the project on its design and implementation.
The first solar panels have been delivered to Raimutin and designs have been finalised for scaled coffee processing systems. Now complete, the best practice guide and training videos are available in Tetun.
Step Two: Replanting
At ground level, households can only grow small volumes of coffee, as their trees are old and unproductive. So unproductive in fact, that they produce just a fifth of their potential yield.
To remedy this over the long-term, our project begins with planting 100,000 trees per year. Our focus with this first distribution is to select varieties that are climate-resilient, disease resistant, and high yielding. This staggered rollout will ensure that the best trees for the job are grown across the nation. Coffee in Timor-Leste is forest-grown, so a harmonious relationship between these trees and their surrounding environment must also be considered.
Replanting is a critical step. Through thoughtful consideration at this level, if yields across Timor-Leste double, the poverty rate experienced by its citizens will halve.
With the right structure in place, Timor-Leste can leverage its natural advantages
Expanding upon these off-grid community wet mills is part of a much larger strategy which has been underway for some time. With the right structure to support it, Timor-Leste can leverage its natural advantages towards the production of high quality coffee. The country boasts good altitudes, naturally occurring shade, and land which is organic by default (OBD).
To support this, we are developing our own centre for coffee excellence, which can link these remote processing hubs to one place. Here, they will have access to educational courses such as our Plant to Port program which presently runs several times a year in Colombia. Educational courses, alongside access to harvest finance and exporting services are key elements we aspire to provide in Timor-Leste. These metrics will work to ensure that high quality coffees reach new markets that are willing to pay for them.
Harnessing solar and aligning its use with long-term goals will benefit vasts numbers of people. It is not simply a measure of initial economic benefit, rather, it is a catalyst for ongoing development.
As coffee producers earn increased income and solar power brings reliable energy, we create opportunities for other industries to grow. These hubs can become the pillar for a diversified, and resilient economy.
What starts with a cup of coffee, can become a sustainable future for Timor-Leste
With support, communities can strive forwards, through both heritage and innovation; connected to the world yet grounded in their cultural roots. This project is about far more than coffee, it is a blueprint for lasting prosperity.
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