Redemption - East Timor
Brought to you by Dog and Hat!
Origin
Smallholders from Parami Village near Atsabi in the Ermera region of East Timor
Variety
Hybrid de Timor & Typica
Processing
Washed
Altitude
1800 masl
Roast Profile
Filter / Espresso
Tasting Notes
Notes of Orange, Raisin and Hazelnut
Coffee Facts
The municipality of Ermera is home to the largest coffee production volumes, but almost 60% of the municipality's population live below the poverty line. Productivity, however, is extremely low, alongside profitability which is both low and volatile. This is because almost all coffee is sold on the commodity market for a discounted “C” price. Our importing partner, Raw Material, met with groups of producers in villages across Atsabe to learn how the coffee market has served them in recent history.
On the back of these meetings, Raw Material and the producers developed a plan for a more prosperous future, that included: (1) sustainably raising and maintaining the quality of Atsabe’s coffee predictably above 80 points, (2) connecting with those roasters who want to commit long-term, and (3) systematically solving the many challenges that can obstruct the route to the speciality market, including financial, legal, cultural, infrastructure, and technical challenges.
Raw Material built its first custom wet mill and processing centre in Atsabe in April 2018, with a view to improving the quality of the coffee grown and allowing the farmers to access the much higher prices commanded by the speciality coffee market. Raw Material drew on their experience working in other coffee-producing countries to combine elements that would most likely improve Ermera’s coffee quality given the unique set of challenges facing the region
Each section of the mill uses materials that are local, and readily available. The mill uses gravity to move coffee through the various processing stages, which means no double-handling, and no unnecessary machinery. The mill serves not only as a central hub for processing the cherry of the producers Raw Material work with across Ermera, but also as a meeting point for the village chiefs and neighbourhood leaders. It also serves as a hub for training courses in both cultivation, picking, and processing for local producers.
