Cooperativa Café Timor (CCT) was founded in the wake of the destruction of much of Timor Leste during the country’s transition to independence. A group of farmers, attempting to successfully market their coffee to overseas buyers, united to form CCT in 2000. Today, nearly 20,000 members organised into 16 primary co-operatives sell their coffee through the organisation which now exports more than half of all the coffee produced in Timor Leste.

CCT works to market, process, transport and export the annual coffee crop. Not only does it pay to farmers up to 50% more than other local buyers, but it also works to improve the quality of local processing, and to provide health programmes, shade trees, marketing and business assistance, and a rudimentary advisory service. The co-operative offers small business training and has helped establish co-operative trading in essential household commodities for rural people at reasonable prices, in an effort to reduce excessive costs of living for the people of Timor Leste.

CCT has helped set up coffee processing factories as well as sun-drying fields and warehouses. Tree planting, pruning, composting, field measurement and registration, and assistance with regular organic coffee certification all assist in giving this beleaguered country a competitive advantage in marketing its coffee and ensuring that coffee farming remains a sustainable endeavour for local farmers.