Papua New Guinea

Coffee is a major industry for Papua New Guinea involving more than 2.5 million people (or nearly half of the total population). The crop remains the main source of income for many highland farmers. The country currently exports around 1 million bags of coffee, bringing in 340 million kina to the economy.

The crop was introduced to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the late 19th century and is directly linked to the country?s colonial history. It is likely that coffee was first grown in PNG by Emma Coe Forsayth – ?Queen Emma?, as she was affectionately known by the German colonists – a business woman and plantation owner of mixed American and Samoan descent. Emma had set up large cocoa and coconut plantations in the Kokopo district in the East New Britain Province (ENBP) with the help of her brother-in-law, the German botanist and planter, Richard Parkinson. It is probable that her vast plantation included coffee, as well.