Food in Timor-Leste is closely connected to nature. People buy vegetables fresh each day from small motorbike carts that drive through the neighborhood. Most cheap rice is brought in from Indonesia. Rice grown in Timor-Leste often costs more because it is grown in the mountains, where the soil is not very rich.
Cutting firewood for cooking can also harm the environment by causing deforestation. One project I worked on as a Peace Corps volunteer was making biochar from bamboo waste. Biochar is added to soil to help it hold water and nutrients so crops can grow better. We hope this project can help farmers grow more food while protecting the environment.
