Our support to Timor-Leste focuses on a program of research collaboration with a long-term view in capacity and partnership development. The program and project areas of focus are primarily in crops, soil and land management, fisheries, forestry, livestock systems and global programs.
The ACIAR country strategy is looking at ways to support and improve the country's ability to generate reliable income from agriculture and thereby improve the living conditions and livelihood opportunities of families.
Country priorities
Luis began as Country Manager, in the new ACIAR Timor-Leste office in May 2022. Prior to taking on this role, Luis has been working continuously on ACIAR projects in Timor-Leste as a researcher and technical coordinator since 2003. He was awarded a John Allwright Fellowship in 2012 to complete a Masters of Agricultural Science at the University of Western Australia specialising in Genetics and Plant Breeding.
New ACIAR-funded research will investigate the link between animal-sourced foods and childhood stunting in Timor-Leste.
Mungbean is a pulse crop of global potential. As a grain, it is nutritious for consumers and as a crop, it is a flexible rotation option for farmers.
Nineteen new crop varieties have been released in Timor-Leste helping smallholder farming communities improve production and food security.
One health project in Timor-Leste to reduce the transmission of brucellosis in cattle to humans.
While the world continues to battle COVID-19, Timor-Leste has been dealing at the same time with an outbreak of a fatal livestock disease that threatens to further undermine the social and economic wellbeing of its people.
A global team including researchers from The University of Western Australia has assessed the impact of fungal contamination in maize and peanuts on the health of women and children in Timor-Leste and found that it was unlikely to cause stunting in children.Published in Nature Scientific Reports, the study measured levels of aflatoxin (a toxic and carcinogenic substance produced by the fungus Aspergillus sp.) in locally produced maize and peanuts, and in blood samples taken from women and young children in Timor-Leste.
