Coffee production is an essential cash crop in PNG, particularly in the highlands where it provides an income for families who otherwise rely on subsistence farming. Funded under the Australian aid program, the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development initiative is supporting the CARE PNG's Coffee Industry Support Project to work with coffee industry stakeholders, influencing workplace policies and programs to be more appropriate for, and inclusive of, women.
One of the identified constraints to increasing women coffee farmer's more meaningful engagement along the coffee value chain is their ability to access extension services. Extension officers directly support farmers and share knowledge to improve their farming techniques. They are important intermediaries between businesses, research and farmers, promoting better results and better profits for all stakeholders in the value chain of the coffee industry. Before this project began there were only five women coffee extension officers.
The project has been working to improve coffee farmers, extension officers and coffee industry partners' gendered understanding and to deliver family business management training to improve women's participation. The critical gap in women extension officers is also being addressed through the inaugural Coffee Industry Graduate Program introduced this year.
Following organisational capacity assessments with two of PNG's leading coffee exporters, the project has placed the first four high-achieving agricultural studies graduates, three of whom are women, with two private sector partners PNG Coffee Exports and Sustainable Management Services PNG (SMS) as part of the 12-month Graduate Program.
Ms Alma Lance was placed with SMS through the Graduate Program. She recognises that the job has challenges, but she has seen firsthand that the inclusion of women extension officers results in women farmers being more likely to share their views.
'It's like I'm standing on behalf of the women and I represent them they come to me and we talk openly. I see that most of the time in society we give males a higher status keeping women behind, and it is holding back families and their work. So I think what CARE and SMS are doing with female extension officers is important I believe in having females in extension because it will create change,' she shared.
Mr Joeri Kalwij, the Director of SMS, said he was motivated to participate in the Graduate Program as it gives his company an opportunity not only to support young professionals to gain valuable work experience, but to also actively recruit young women into a male dominated industry.
Mr Kalwij said the Graduate Program has had a positive impact on his business:
'It is more than a strategic choice to have female extension officers on our staff: it is simple common sense. The feedback and active engagement of farmers with our entire team during field visits is fantastic. I like to think this is partly due to the fact we have women in our team that maintain this rapport with PNG's female coffee growers. We certainly have.'
Working through this project, SMS have not only committed to taking on a second cohort of graduates, they have made policy changes to their extension officers' salary scales to ensure all staff regardless of gender receive the same pay and benefits. These changes mark important organisational-level changes within the industry which will enable women's more meaningful participation in PNG's coffee industry.
More information
- 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence 25 November – 10 December 2016
- Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development
