Agri-Food System Transformation in Papua New Guinea

Overview & Synopsis

This report argues that agricultural transformation is Papua New Guinea’s most effective strategy for achieving economic diversification, creating rural employment, reducing poverty, and strengthening social stability. Although agriculture already contributes significantly to economic growth, the sector remains constrained by inadequate infrastructure, fragmented governance, weak research and extension services, and insufficient public investment. The report identifies three interconnected opportunities to accelerate growth: boosting productivity and innovation, developing high-potential value chains, and creating investable conditions that attract private capital. It highlights the potential of priority commodities such as coffee, cocoa, vanilla, horticulture, and poultry to generate substantial employment and income, particularly for rural youth and women. The report recommends institutional reforms, including strengthening the Department of Agriculture and Livestock through the National Agriculture Administration Act, reallocating public spending toward research, extension, and infrastructure, and improving coordination across national and subnational levels. A phased delivery framework is proposed to scale successful interventions, mobilize private investment, enhance productivity, and create approximately 330,000 agri-food jobs over the next decade. The report concludes that transforming agriculture is essential not only for economic growth but also for reducing rural exclusion, conflict, and vulnerability, thereby promoting a more resilient and inclusive future for Papua New Guinea.