Inclusion Story – Waves of change: Seaweed’s transformative influence in Atauro

Meet Otniel Mameia, a teacher from Atauro, a beautiful island 35 km from Timor-Leste’s capital, Dili. Despite mobility challenges, Otniel has been farming seaweed for years. He farms Eucheuma, a type that is recognised worldwide for its use in food, beverages, agriculture and pharmaceuticals. Through his work on seaweed, Otniel has supported his family and financed his son’s tertiary education in Kupang, Indonesia. 

Seaweed is a relatively small export commodity for Timor-Leste, accounting for less than one per cent of non-oil exports, but it has consistently been among the country’s top-10 non-oil exports in recent years. It is also a significant source of income for people on Atauro, with over 1,000 households on the island farming seaweed. Seaweed farmers such as Otniel face several challenges including low productivity, difficulty accessing markets and diseases such as ‘ice-ice.’ MDF supports seaweed farmers in Timor-Leste by working with Cottonii Group, the country’s first cooperative, established in 2008 with a membership of 600 farmers.