Saving land in Papua New Guinea through trees and coffee

In the Daulo District of Papua New Guinea, most of the 70,000 residents live off the land. But for years, that land has been under threat. Frequent floods, landslides, and soil erosion have made it harder for families to grow enough food to eat or coffee to sell.

In 2019, a local group called the Daulo Commodities Cooperative Society (DCCSL) was formed to help farmers fight back. Their approach is simple: use nature to protect the soil.

The cooperative teaches a method called agroforestry, where trees are planted alongside food crops. This helps the community in several ways:

• Stronger soil: Tree roots act like an anchor, holding the dirt in place to prevent landslides and erosion.
• Better coffee: Planting shade trees in coffee gardens protects the plants from harsh weather and improves the quality of the beans.
• Healthier crops: The cooperative provides seedlings, tools, and soil testing to help farmers grow more food for their families and better produce for the market.

Skills for all

The project is not just about plants, it’s also about people. The cooperative provides training in modern farming and business skills so that farmers can get a fair price for their hard work.

This includes everyone from women, youth, persons living with disabilities, widows, and orphans. Women take part in training, farming activities, and small business development, and are supported to participate alongside men in community programmes and decision-making processes. 

The results in Daulo have been so clear that even people in neighbouring districts are starting to notice and request the same training.

What started as a small group in 2019 is now expanding training activities with demonstration sites and practical learning in nursery management, onion fermentation, tree planting, and coffee extension across three provinces.

By teaching farmers how to work with the environment rather than just on it, the cooperative is helping families build a life that can survive the changing climate.

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