Flavor: Dark Chocolate, Green Tea, Stone Fruit

Region: Simbu, Eastern Highlands and Morobe Province, 1600-1850 Meters

Process: Washed

Cup Score: 85.5

About the Coffee:

The Lahamenegu Mill is located in the Eastern Highlands and serves as an essential link between importers and local producers.

This coffee was sourced from three provinces – Simbu, Eastern Highlands, and Morobe. Around 10% of PNG’s coffee is produced in Simbu, and 330 smallholders. In the Eastern Highlands, coffee is sourced from 300 partner producers in the Henganofi sub-region. The Morobe province is an up-and-coming region in PNG with a fast-growing reputation for high quality and volume. Over 500 farmers are part of the network here and primarily produce washed coffees with clean cup quality.

Many coffee origins grow coffee organically by default, but for coffee to be certified as USDA Organic, the farm and supply chain must adhere to strict standards from tree to cup. The standards encompass criteria such as the health of the soil, management of pests and weeds, the genetics of the coffee trees, environmental impacts that result from agricultural activity, and more. Accreditation is a rigorous process that can take up to three years and is a huge investment for producers. That’s why many who naturally farm organically may still lack certification despite their sustainable efforts.

Out of the nine million people in PNG, around 2.5 million (30%) are involved in coffee. Exports of coffee account for approximately 6% (US$72 million) of the country’s GDP, and it’s the second leading agricultural product after palm oil. With numbers like that, most people expect unroasted PNG green coffee to be highly valued locally, but production levels tell a different story.