FOOD SECURITY IN

TIMOR LESTE:
Challenges
Carlos S. Basilio, and Lessons
Team Leader,
Learnt
EC Food Security Program for NGOs in Timor Leste
ChildFund International, Dili, Timor Leste
EC-Food Security Program,
International NGO Coordination
Group
Agencies District Coverage
CARE International Liquica, Bobonaro

ChildFund International Lautem, Manatuto

CONCERN Worldwide Lautem, Manufahi

OXFAM International Covalima, Oecusse

World Neighbors Oecusse

Food Security in East
Timor
41 % live below the poverty line
90% suffer food shortages for at least one
month every year
75% of households depend on subsistence
farming for survival.
Alternate sources of food are extremely rare,
laborious to prepare and contain substances
potentially detrimental to health
widespread malnutrition among the population,
especially the children
Causes of Food Insecurity
Limited production of food from
limited and marginal lands
Limited income generated from
farm activities
Limited access to non-farm
income generating activities
Large household size
Limited production from limited
marginal lands
Limited income from limited crop and
animal production
Low income from selling farm products in the markets
because of low prices given due to poor product quality
Low income from selling farm products in the
markets because of low prices given due to
limited demand
 High cost of transport due to bad roads, long
distance from the markets, lack of storage facilities,
etc
 Limited access to non-farm
income earning opportunities
Many household members
to feed
Food Security Policy
(GoTL)
concern for all Timor Leste’s farmers
needs to be addressed in a coordinated and
holistic fashion
integrated program with a number of
interrelated components
the goal is to improve the quantity, quality
and reliability of food production systems in
subsistence households, principally in the
uplands
Grow good quality seeds
Select and store seed
properly
Establish Community Seed
Centers
Encourage genetic
diversity
Rice Peanut
Introduce new varieties
sweetpotato cassava
Reduce drudgery of labor …
… by appropriate technology
 Use more effective post-harvest
handling and storage practices to
reduce losses
Harvest rainwater to lessen
impacts of drought…
…and extend growing
season
Establish home gardens for better
nutrition and income generation
Encourage semi-
intensive…
and practices
Integrate Farm Enterprises
Related Issues and
Challenges
negative spiral
property regimes
disaster management 
natural resource degradation
animal food security
domestic violence
Technical solutions are available but adapting them under
Timor Leste’s conditions needs equally important institutional,
socio-cultural and policy innovations
Community Food
Security
Community-Based
Community-Based
Learning andAction
Learning and Action

Strengthening
Communities
for Collective
Action

Developing Learning and

Dryland Sharing
Agricultural Agricultural
Systems Innovations

Adaptive Project
Adaptive Project Organizational
Organizational
Co-Management
Co-Management Capacity
Capacity
Development
Development