PNG Coffee Journal 16(1) – 2025 Special issue: Technology, Ecology, and Livelihoods: Framing the Future of Smallholder Coffee in PNG

The PNG Coffee Journal — published by the Coffee Industry Corporation — has just released its latest issue online as an “accepted manuscript” version. This special edition brings together insights on technology, ecology, agricultural extension, and farmer perspectives in the smallholder sector.

One paper evaluates demucilagers—mechanical wet mills that improve processing consistency and reduce labour demands—demonstrating their potential to enhance quality, and support CBB management.

Another paper explores the ecological benefits of shade management, including improved resilience, nutrient cycling, and income diversification. Two contributions present a new training package and the ten guiding principles underpinning it, emphasising low-input strategies, gender inclusion, and whole-farm systems approaches. The issue also includes an interview with industry practitioner and coffee pioneer, John Leahy, who provides a good dose of reality in what is possible in the PNG smallholder context.

Across these contributions, several themes emerge: the need for improved quality and consistency, the centrality of labour efficiency, the importance of agroecological sustainability, and the value of extension tailored to individual household contexts. Collectively, the papers highlight an integrated agenda linking technology, ecology, and social realities. The future of smallholder coffee in PNG will depend on aligning these dimensions in ways that improve quality, sustain livelihoods, and enable adaptation to emerging challenges.