Prabindra Singh - Network of Asian and Pacific Producers Board Member visits PNG for the first time.

Source: Fairtrade Australia

In late August, Fairtrade ANZ’s Producer Support and Business Development teams conducted a field visit to Papua New Guinea with three Fairtrade coffee roasters from Australia and New Zealand - Sacred Grounds Organic, Griffiths and Montville Coffee. The group visited two Fairtrade Certified producer organisations to have a close look at the community projects they have funded with the Fairtrade Premium.

Trader visit to PNG

At Highlands Organic Agriculture Co-operative (HOAC), the roasters visited a recently launched water project, which is supplying 10,000 litres of drinkable water per hour to 4,000 people in the Okapa District of Eastern Highlands Province, where access to clean water has been a challenge for years.

Water Premium Project at HOAC

At the young Neknasi Coffee Growers Cooperative Society, roasters met its Social Manager, Mela Napiyang, who has recently been equipped with a motorbike funded by the Fairtrade Premium. The vehicle will facilitate his role in identifying the needs of Neknasi’s members who are spread across more than eight remote mountainous villages, joined by basic bush tracks. Mela will prioritise his efforts on identifying water access needs as the organisation is planning to establish a water supply system for its members. This visit was an opportunity for buyers and producers to better understand each other’s needs and challenges, reinforcing the buyers’ commitment to Fairtrade and giving producers a first-time opportunity to liaise directly with the companies that buy their coffee. 

Mela Napiyang driving the Neknasi Premium vehicle