TIMOR-LESTE | ERATOI | WASHED

erched high in the mountains of Letefoho, Eratoi is one of the highest coffee-producing communities in Timor-Leste. The cooler temperatures and slower ripening at this altitude create coffees with exceptional clarity and elegance.

Karst Organics first partnered with lead farmer Simao Pedro de Deus in 2019. Since then, Eratoi has grown into Karst's largest producer group, bringing together forty smallholder farmers committed to improving both quality and sustainability.

The community's investment in tree rehabilitation and careful farming practices has transformed production over recent years, resulting in some of the strongest harvests and highest quality coffees the region has ever produced. Eratoi stands as an excellent example of what long-term relationships, fair pricing and dedication to quality can achieve.

Unlike some producer groups where cherries are centrally processed, each of the forty Eratoi farmers processes their coffee individually at home using traditional methods passed down through generations.

Fully ripe cherries are selectively harvested, floated to remove defects and pulped before undergoing a 40–44 hour fermentation. The coffee is then washed multiple times and dried on raised beds for 10–14 days, being turned regularly to ensure even drying.

Once the coffee reaches approximately 10.5% moisture content it rests for six weeks before being transported to Dili for milling, grading and final hand-sorting before export.

The Eratoi Cooperative works closely with Karst Organics through a long-term partnership built on transparency and fair pricing. Farmers receive premium prices for their parchment coffee, helping to create stable incomes and encourage continued investment in quality.

The results are tangible. Through rehabilitation of coffee trees and improved farming practices, farmers have significantly increased both yields and earnings. One producer, Carlito Afonso da Silva, more than doubled his coffee income between 2019 and 2025 through participation in the programme.

All coffee is grown under native shade trees using natural fertilisers and traditional farming methods, making Timorese coffee effectively organic by practice.