Dear Friends,

Planet Ark - Gardeners of Eden Project: Fundasaun Harii Au-Metan in collaboration with Just Coffee and Family Farm Defenders is seeking support for its work in sustainable agriculture and Permaculture in East Timor/Timor-Leste!

The ancient gardening traditions of local people have maintained resilient agricultural production systems for several thousand years. These gardeners have resisted the destructive Portuguese and Indonesian colonisations which reduced their forest production base, and have adopted and adapted to the new crops and technologies brought by each period. This project seeks to support the enrichment of the systems that have survived and proven their viability, as well as the introduction of improved intensive poly-cultural systems techniques.

We are now seeking vegetable and fruit seeds for trials, grow out and multiplying, in both coastal lowlands (small urban sites and ‘village farm’ in Dili) and the cooler mountain regions where coffee is the main commercial crop. We have already tested several new varieties of brassica, lettuce and other salad greens with great success, and this year want to expand our trials, as well as the number of families participating in seed multiplication.

The subsistence food base in Timor-Leste has very limited range. Supplemented by some wild-harvest from forest and coastal resources, the diet is based on a system of staples of cassava (manioc), corn, sweet potato, potato, taro, rice and beans, with coconut, banana, papaya and citrus. There are two main types of local subsistence: first, variations on slash and burn, growing corn, cassava, bean/pigeon pea combinations with other main crops interplanted (ex. sweet potato, tomato, snake beans) during the wet season; and second, wet-paddy rice, There is some raised bed intensive agriculture in parts of the country producing (tomatoes, carrots, snow peas, pumpkin, onions, garlic, chilli peppers, cucumber, lettuce and cabbage), and some very limited cultivation of herbs and spices. Much of the country’s rice is imported (and is of low nutritive quality – 30% cracked, polished white rice).

The range of varieties of vegetables grown is very limited. Early and late season varieties are not available for most species, and agricultural supplies stores sell almost exclusively F1 Hybrid seeds of only the most familiar species. There are many notable vegetable species from other parts of the world which would be welcome additions to the diet and many non-hybrid varieties which could contribute to extending the food base in villages, and in filling critical seasonal hunger gaps in local production.

The fruit base is also extremely limited, for example there are only five varieties of bananas cultivated, and only limited number of mango, avocado and citrus varieties cultivated. Early and late season varieties of most fruits are absent, making fruit seasons very short, and prone to widespread crop failure. Tropical, sub-tropical and warm/cool temperate fruit production is possible but very limited. Coffee is the major export crop with smaller crops of coconut and candlenut (wild-harvest).

Fundasaun Harii Au-Metan works directly with extended family groups as this is the best way to ensure that successful new varieties introduced are given the best chance to become firmly established in local production systems. From these families, successful new cultivars, varieties and species can then spread from hand to hand, from grower to grower, in most cases women and children.

If you wish to support the project, please send fresh, viable non-hybrid, non-GMO seeds from your area, along with descriptions of the growing conditions, season, and other characteristics so that we are able to determine the best location for trials and production. We are also happy to receive cash donations to assist us with our seed purchases for trials and to support our field production sites and growers. In the USA donations are tax-deductible if checks are written to Family Farm Defenders (please put ‘Seed Project’ in the memo-line). Family Farm Defenders is a non-profit 501(c)(3) registered charitable organization.

Contact project director in Timor-Leste, Hector Hill, if wishing to make a direct donation or for more information. Alternatively, please contact Colleen Coy who is promoting the project through Just Coffee and Family Farm Defenders in the USA as well as organizing its promotion in Canada and Australia.

Thank you kindly for your interest and support!

Contact details:

Hector Hill
P.O. Box 19
Dili, East Timor (Timor-Leste)
E-mail: hextopia@hotmail.com Subject: ‘Seed Project’
Phone: +670-729-7567

Colleen Coy
C/O Just Coffee
1129 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703 USA
E-mail: colleen@justcoffee.net Subject: ‘Seed Project’
Phone: +1-608-204-9011