Recommendations from the Victoria University- Universidade Nacional

Timor-Loro Sa’e Conference on ‘Transforming Timor-Leste for Sustainable

Development, Human Rights and Peace’, Dili, July 5th-7th 2009.

Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods

Agriculture is the most significant form of production currently taking place in
Timor-Leste, yet not enough of its benefits are going to improve the quality of life
of people in the rural areas, the farming families themselves. Data supplied by Dr
Rui Gomes of the UNDP at the conference shows that farmers living in the most
profitable coffee-growing areas also have the higlest level of poverty and
malnutrition in the country. This stream looked at different philosophies of
agriculture and methodologies of educating male and female farmers to improve
productivity of agriculture and diversity of Timor’s food supply. It also looked at
food after it has left the farm. There was discussion of ways of improving diversity
of diet by improving food storage, preservation, food processing and cooking
practices to create livelihoods in rural areas by establishment of more direct links
between produces and consumers of Timor’s food. This is an important area for
development of rural livelihoods or off-farm economic activity.

Recommendations to the Government

The government should aim to improve the quantity, quality and reliability of food
production systems throughout the country, particularly in subsistence
households, which market their surplus.

The government should strengthen food sovereignty, which means that all
people have the right to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and to
food-producing resources and the ability to sustain themselves and their
societies with local seeds, indigenous knowledge, as well as diversifying local
crops, fruits, vegetables etc. to address food security and malnutrition.

Home industries, adding value to agricultural products, such as those practiced

at the Canossian’s Centro Treino Integral e Desenvolvimento (CTID)(Centre for
Integral Training and Development) in Baucau can also be encouraged,
particularly by women, to improve health and income generation.

Climate change means that energy should be saved on transport of food where
possible and food consumed close to where it is grown. The establishment of
local markets and banking facilities should avoid the need for so many farmers to
bring their crops to Dili to sell. The School feeding program should be a major
market for local fruit and vegetables in many sub-districts.

Radio and television should be used to inform consumers and sellers of prices
and availability of various foods in local markets in rural districts and in Dili.

Appropriate technology, such as rainwater harvesting using tanks and dams,

could be used to lessen the impact of drought and extend the growing season.
Training for all related agencies, including extension workers, civil society, staff
from the Ministry of Agriculture and for farmers themselves, needs to be
participatory, bringing together theory and practice and take place through
formal, informal and non-formal education. Many of the principles and practice of
sustainable agriculture, based on local resources, including composting, could be
taught in schools as part of science classes.

Recommendations to UNTL
Reform the existing curriculum in the Faculty of Agriculture to make it more
appropriate to sustainable rural livelihoods.

Include the study of agricultural policy in other Faculties and Departments, not
just the Faculty of Agriculture.

Research more effective post-harvest storage, food processing, packaging and

transporting practices to add value to food and create more livelihoods.

Recommendations to Civil Society

Indigenous crops need to be promoted and traditional knowledge, skills and local
wisdom need to be recognized. Farmers need to be encouraged to grow good
seeds and establish community seed saving centres.

Appropriate Technology organizations need to network and promote their labour-

saving devices to rural families, such as post harvest technology, solar cookers,
wind and solar generators and water tanks can all make life easier and more
productive for the farming household.

Farming families need encouragement to establish home gardens and to do

semi-intensive small animal-raising (e.g. pig, chicken, and goat) in a sustainable
way, for better nutrition and income generation.

Farmers (including female farmers) need their own farmers’ associations to

represent and advise them on their dealing with government and traders.
Producers’ co-operatives can help farmers pool their resources and deal with
issues such as transport, marketing etc.

Recommendations to Citizens
Farming families need to be encouraged to use more effective post-harvest
handling and storage practices to reduce losses.

Households need to be encouraged to design their home garden and kitchen to

save work, using appropriate cooking stoves to save fuel and lighten women’s
workload and improve their health.
Home gardens with fruit trees, dark green leafy vegetables and beans, have
been shown in many other countries to make an important contribution of
improving nutrition.

Even small spaces around urban homes can be made productive and can make
use of vegetable waste through composting.

Information on how to establish small and larger gardens is available through

organisations such as Permatil.