We're all feeling it in one way or another- things have certainly changed.
As Australians, we are fortunate to be part of a comparatively wealthy nation, even though for many of us it may not seem that way right now. But what of developing nations like Timor-Leste? How will this crisis affect communities and families that were already struggling before?
I want to suggest that supporting Timorese communities by trading directly is going to be more crucial than ever in this next season. Let me explain why.
"The Economist" has warned us that the effects of the pandemic may be devastating on developing countries like Timor-Leste. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso says that “The spread of the new coronavirus is a public health crisis that could pose a serious risk to the macro economy through the halt in production activities, interruptions of people's movement and cut-off of supply chains."
The Interpreter reports Timor-Leste having lost about $1.8 billion in revenues from the Petroleum Fund due to dramatic changes in the US Stock market.
As Timor-Leste relies heavily on imports for food staples, there will potentially be much less food for families to eat.
In the words of PM Scott Morrison, "our Pacific island family must be a focus of international support."
As individuals, we can support developing countries by buying our goods from traders who source directly from farmers, cutting out the middle man. (See more on Wild Timor Coffee's Direct Trade Policies here.)
We would like to offer a tremendous thank-you to all of you in the Wild Timor Coffee family who have helped us stay afloat over the last few tumultuous months.
Thanks to your commitment to buying direct traded Timorese coffee, we can continue to support farmers in Aileu.