Stewart and Kar-Yee founded Karst Organics following Stewart’s work on an educational and capacity-building programme with the Timorese military in 2016. A year later, Stewart visited a colleague’s family farm in Letefoho and fell in love with the region. That visit was the beginning of Karst Organics.
The Importance of Natureza in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste is a tropical island situated in South-East Asia. Its history is a complicated one, having been colonised by Portugal, and being annexed by Indonesia. Colonisation first introduced coffee, however during the years of annexation this sector was ignored. Since gaining independence for the second time in 2002, Timor-Leste has been working hard, carving out space in the speciality coffee market.
While Catholicism plays a large role in Timorese culture due to Portuguese colonisation, there is also a deep rooted tradition of animistic belief. Animism is rooted in the sky, sea, and earth, and is based on the belief that all living things possess their own guardian, referred to as nain. As a result, farmers care deeply for the land and treat it with inherent respect and care.
Coffee is organically grown underneath the Ai-Kakeu (Casuarina) and Ai-Samtuku (Albizia) shade trees that dominate the mountainous coffee growing regions. In these coffee forests, other crops such as yams, bananas, and avocados, grow alongside- which serve as daily food staples and traditional medicines. Additionally, chemical fertilisers are avoided. Instead, composted cherry skin, animal faeces and soil are used to fertilise and nourish the earth. This helps to nurture a thriving biodiverse ecosystem with nutrient rich soil.
Farmer First
People are at the heart of Karst Organics. During their first visit to Letefoho, Stewart and Kar-Yee met coffee farmers who were frustrated by the low prices paid by commercial buyers. In response, Karst built a coffee processing facility to partner directly with local farmers and support the development of coffee growing in East Timor. Alongside this, they constructed a storage facility to ensure parchment coffee could be stored correctly.
By providing training in coffee processing and coffee tree maintenance, farmers are able to access the speciality coffee market, harvest more beans, and improve quality and ultimately, earn higher rates. Green beans exported to UK roasters are often sent back to East Timor for cupping sessions, allowing farmers to better understand how different processing methods affect cup profile and flavour.
At Karst, all staff are formally contracted, registered with the labour department and have their social security contributions paid. In many coffee-growing regions, it is common for workers to be paid cash in hand during harvest season. Karst takes a different approach, prioritising job security to ensure fair treatment for workers.
Partner farmers are also guaranteed minimum prices: $0.85 per kilogram for cherries and $4.00 per kilogram for parchment, regardless of fluctuations in the global market. If coffee prices rise, farmers receive more and if they fall, farmers are protected. This system provides income stability for growers.
Transparent Supply Chain
Because Karst acts as both exporter and importer, they are able to offer a transparent view of the journey from farm to cup. They openly share how much farmers are paid, who sorts the parchment coffee (People’s Trade Company), and the costs associated with processing, shipping, and other contributors. All of this information is clearly laid out on their website.
Transparency is key to understanding our food systems, but is sadly often absent in larger supply chains, such as supermarkets, where most people buy their groceries in the UK. A lack of transparency can lead to the exploitation of farmers and growers, which is why it is so important for the wellbeing of both people and planet.
