Journal
August 2023
Origin Coffee Traders has cultivated enduring partnerships with the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, forging direct connections with two vital villages in the Okappa and Bomai regions. These villages rely heavily on their produce, making these established relationships a testament to the positive impact created when buyers and growers of green coffee beans connect directly. O.C.T. actively supports the basic healthcare and educational needs of local schools and medical dispensaries by collaborating with village cooperatives.
In 2017, O.C.T. visited "Hagarowsh Elementary," a school in Kekasa village, where despite the absence of basic amenities, students radiate joy and warmth. This encounter motivated O.C.T. to join forces with GEPO Coffee Exports to fund the construction of additional classrooms at this school. Furthermore, O.C.T. is working in partnership with the PNG coffee farmers association to raise funds for providing clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to these villages.
In this untamed region, coffee thrives without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. Families in these villages have designated sections of the forest for their annual harvests. After picking the coffee, farmers trek through challenging terrain, often lacking modern infrastructure, carrying the fruit on their backs for two to three days. They eventually arrive at a central location where brokers purchase, process, and prepare the coffee for export. The coffee purchased from these villages is priced above the market rate set by the NY Terminal, and a bonus incentive is provided to village cooperatives for local farmer education, fostering improvements in cultivation, sustainability, and fruit quality.
