Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste, CQI has lead analysis of the specialty coffee sector for donors like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support the design and implementation of coffee sector support programs. In 2018, CQI led two analyses for ADB, including baseline assessments and gap analyses of existing systems for applied agricultural research, existing systems for training extension workers and delivering extension services to farmers, and identification of short- and long-term priorities for capacity development in Timor-Leste. In 2022, CQI delivered a Post-Harvest Processing Good Practices Workshop to 23 students in Timor-Leste, for Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand. Students learned about the application of proper fermentation techniques and how to use post-harvest processing supporting instruments. They learned the benefit of pre cleaning, fermentation, and the risks involved in each post-harvest processing method, with the emphasis on the fully washed method. Prior to this training, participants started with limited knowledge on post-harvest processing methods other than the fully washed, with varied protocols being used. Through this training, students were exposed to best practices both in terms of standard protocols to practice for the improvement of quality, as well as the use of tools such as pH meters, litmus paper, and moisture meters to monitor the post-harvest processing process and ensure the highest quality possible.