Papua New Guinea is an island of spectacular scenery and culture. The abundant rainfall and rich volcanic soil provide ideal growing conditions for coffee. Annual rainfalls make transportation difficult because the roads are not sealed and gravel is scarce. The concept of "organic" coffee was introduced into Papua New Guinea in 1991. Coffee is the only cash crop for these growers and higher priced sales will result in better benefits and a brighter future for these families.

There are 2600 farmers in the Purosa Cooperative, who live in the 32 villages spread over 500 square kilometers of the valley. Highlands Organic Agriculture Cooperative Ltd (HOAC) is made up of 12000 families who tend their small coffee plots and process beans at their village mill. As demand for their exquisite coffee grows, it is expected that over 5000 more growers will join in the next few years.
The villages are more accessible during the peak of harvest, the dry season of June to September. Growers are always encouraged and taught to prune their coffee trees at the end of each season to enable more growth and better crops in the coming year.

Altitude: 5700 feet
Variety: Typica, Mundo Novo, Arusha
Processing Method: Washed
Grade: Strictly Hard Bean
Species: Arabica
Harvest: June to September

Cup Characteristics: fruit forward, apricot, chocolate and nutty, sweet rich body and lingering aftertaste

Yha Hauka is located in one of the most rugged and mountainous regions in New Guinea. The coffee is grown near the villages of Aseki and Menyamya, located in the Morobe District. Aseki and Menyamya are reachable only by a seven hour 4-wheel drive excursion from Lae or by small plane. From the main road to Lae (the capital and port), there are few feeder roads, which are closed almost six months out of the year due to heavy rains.

These villages have been using sustainable farming methods since inception 25 years ago. Coffee is the only source of revenue for the people in this region and is grown by individual families on small coffee blocks of three to four thousand trees each. The coffee is usually transported to the processing plant by foot, on the heads of the producing families. Sometimes the journey can take up to a full day. Upon selling their coffee at the mill, the families then buy essential supplies like salt, sugar and clothes from the village stores before returning home. This system has changed very little over the past 20-30 years. Traditional farming is a natural choice in Morobe, where food has a priority over fertilizers and chemicals. Where villagers are too far off, mini airstrips are made and small planes service these areas, bringing their coffee and carrying out their store goods.

Shade canopies are an essential element to organic farming in Papua New Guinea. Shade trees are often a secondary crop for the farmer, for example bananas or papaya. They also grow vegetables as a ground cover to stop weed growth, supply them with food and to act as a natural fertilizer.

Altitude: 4500-600 feet
Variety: Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Arusha, AA & AX
Processing Method: Washed
Grade: Strictly Hard Bean
Species: Arabica
Harvest: June to September

Cup Characteristics: wild floral aroma, smoke, cedar and coriander spices throughout, chocolaty, spicy piquant acidity and smooth body