TRADITIONAL FARMING PRACTICES AND CROP PRODUCTION IN TIMOR-LESTE

The main crop production in Timor-Leste has not been improved in the last 20 to 30 years but environmental destruction has been prevalent due to various factors such as: poor farming practices, lack of improved seeds, poverty, poor government policies and natural calamities. It is underscored in this book that such problems can only be effectively addressed if the government designs and implements policies that do not only concern about crop production but also promote environmental health. This book claims that neither western conventional agriculture nor the current form of traditional agriculture can provide suitable solutions to the crop production and environmental problems in Timor-Leste. This book underlines the importance of investing in rural infrastructures, promoting sustainable crop production through organic farming, and mainstreaming all stakeholders in planning and executing agricultural programmes are essential in tackling these issues.