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Increasing social and economic participation in subsistence communities can help end poverty and hunger, provide education and training, create employment opportunities, raise living standards and improve infrastructure.

While mobility around Timor is increasing, many people in the Districts cannot move easily around due to the lack of public transport, the conditions of the roads and infrastructure and the cost of fuel. Therefore much of the income derived at the village level remains in the village. So the payment directly into the village economy for tree management and associated services results in building local community wealth.

economic-participation-graphic

Local employment

Ho Musan Ida employs 11 local staff in Baguia. It is the biggest employer outside of the government and schools. Regular paid work is the exception in subsistence communities like Baguia and those who are able to find work are expected to use the income they earn to support their broader family. Ho Musan Ida staff are no exception and they support many extended family members. In one case a Ho Musan staff member supports 19 other people as well as himself on the monthly income of $300.

Tree management payments

Annual payments to members of the Community Tree Cooperatives for planting and maintaining trees will increase their incomes, which is as low as 88c a day.

Gold Standard Certified carbon credits

WithOneSeed has successfully achieved international certification from the Gold Standard Foundation under the afforestation/reforestation standard.  This provides recognition that the WithOneSeed program meets international standards and can market internationally certified carbon certificates generated by the Program.  The certification process was supported over a two-year period by Ramp Carbon, Baker & McKenzie and Disruptive Media.  The in-country audit was conducted by the Rainforest Alliance (USA).  Funding for the certification process has been provided by the PMF fund.)

WithOneBean

WithOneBean is a premium Arabica coffee. Grown and harvested by subsistence farming communities in Timor Leste and roasted in Australia. WithOneBean returns 100% of the profit to support environmental and educational initiatives in Timor Leste. WithOneBean and its partners will ensure that coffee farmers in Timor Leste get paid a fair price for their green coffee beans. The WithOneBean market is the corporate and business community in Australia.

Progress to date

By the end of 2017, WithOneSeed will have:

  • approximately 700 participating farmers (5% of the Baguia population)
  • over 100,000 trees planted and under management, increasing by 20,000 trees per year
  • removed more than 40,000 tonnes of CO2e from the atmosphere
  • 13 community-based propagation nurseries under management
  • 11 local staff employed by Ho Musan Ida
  • established the Timor-Leste registered Baguia Farmer Cooperative
  • established the Baguia Finance Cooperative
  • injected over $150,000 into village economies through payments to farmers for maintaining trees and through salaries for staff employed by Ho Musan Ida
  • developed a WithOneSeed Business Plan and Risk Assessment document which the Board of xpand Foundation requires to be reviewed frequently to inform Board decisions.

WithOneSeed's economic participation story in pictures

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