BACP and Fairtrade ANZ are providing isolated farmers in Papua New Guinea the technical skills to grow sustainable businesses.

 

Adelbert members at Urumarav village after Fairtrade workshop. Photo by Rachel Levine.

Poverty is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. The people responsible for preserving these global resources live lives challenged by poverty, low levels of education and limited opportunities for income generation. Adelberts Cooperative Society is a small cocoa grower organization located in the heart of Papua New Guinea’s rugged and remote Adelberts Mountain range, which serves as the guardian of nine conservation areas while working to generate income through a de facto organic cocoa business.

 

The skills gained through BACP’s partnership with Fairtrade ANZ are allowing the members of Adelberts Cooperative Society to take control of their cocoa gardens while protecting the natural environment. Fairtrade ANZ’s training program on biodiversity and Fairtrade Standards for cocoa growers is part of its strategy for the promotion of sustainable development in cocoa farming communities. Its main components were a set of training materials to support the program and a series of twelve workshops for four cocoa producing organisations in Papua New Guinea, one of which was Adelberts Cooperative Society. 

 

Adelberts’ farmer members participated enthusiastically during the trainings, and gained skills to overcome production challenges like Cocoa Pod Borer, as well as learning about soil management, composting techniques, best practices for fermentary owners, and the Fairtrade Environmental Standards.

 

Composed of conservation communities, Adelberts works to protect its “bush, ground and water,” the Pidgin equivalent for the English word “environment.” From a total of 18,010 hectares, the nine communities have designated 4,359 for conservation purposes and 1,656 for cash crops.  To protect those areas, Adelberts’ communities follow a Participatory Land Use Management Plan, which they developed with the support of Fairtrade ANZ partner organization The Nature Conservancy in 2006. Through the BACP funded project, these farmers updated their existing plan, and developed an environment oriented business plan to guide their future decisions. Also during the implementation of this project, Adelberts’ relationship with its cocoa buyer was strengthened, renewing its commitment to build a relationship with the group for the supply of Fairtrade certified cocoa. 

 

Adelberts is protecting local biodiversity, and in line with its land use management plan, contributing to the preservation of its local culture. In Urumarav village, Chief John Toto--- has two important roles: he is a member of Adelberts’ Conservation Lookout Committee, the body responsible for implementing Adelberts’ land use management plan, and in a role that has been passed down to him through his family, he is also responsible for bringing the community together. John does this using his ‘Garamut’, a wooden drum whose beats send specific messages to members of Urumarav and neighboring villages, over hillsides and across valleys. To hear John talking about Fairtrade and his role in the community, click here.