Tree Kangaroo Project | Papua New Guinea - Wholesale
Papua New Guinea
12 oz
This coffee is named for Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo because profits from coffee enable the families in the conversation area to preserve their land for tree kangaroo habitats. In addition to funding a good cause, the coffee is an excellent expression of the region with its full bodied, long finish and tastes of dark chocolate and earthy spices.
- Coffee Grade:
- Morobe YUS Conservation Washed
- Farm/Coop/Station:
- Various
- Varietal:
- Arusha , Bourbon, Typica
- Processing:
- Washed
- Altitude:
- 1,200 to 2,400 meters above sea level
- Owner:
- Various smallholder farmers
- Subregion/Town:
- Yopno, Uruwa, and Som (YUS) Zones
- Region:
- Morobe
- Farm Size:
- 1 to 2 hectares on average
- Bag Size:
- 69kg
- Harvest Months:
- May - September (main crop)| January - February (fly crop)
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The fertile lands near villages in the Yopno, Uruwa and Som Zones (YUS zones) is the perfect place for coffee trees to thrive. However, access to the market has been an immense challenge. The nearest road is a 2-day hike that involves traversing steep mountains, fast-flowing rivers and dense, tropical forest. For most farmers, this isolation has meant they are unable to grow coffee as a means of income. Most farming families have subsisted on only the food crops they grow.
More than 20 years ago Dr. Lisa Dabek began working in the area to study the endangered Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo. Dr. Dabek soon established the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP).
Indigenous people, who own most of the land in the YUS zones, and scientists like Dr. Dabek were able to work together to highlight the importance of conservation for future generations and establish the official YUS Conservation Area in 2009. This protected area is the first of its kind to be recognized by the national government. The geographical indicator prevents mining, logging and the destruction of this incredibly diverse habitat. The area encompasses over 75,000 hectares of protected land that range from cloud forests to coastal zones.
As a component of this community-based conservation, it is vitally important that the livelihoods of the people who have pledged their land for conservation are heathy, resilient and sustainable. Coffee is the main and often sole source of income for people in the YUS zones. However, due to the remote location and the cost of transport, their sales opportunities are limited. In order to help expand their market access, we have engaged with local stakeholders to coordinate the transportation of parchment via airfreight to the mill and prepare it for export.
This supply chain comes with added costs, but we believe the importance of conservation of the environment for future generations is worth it. When you learn about the tree kangaroos, the experiences of people in the YUS zones and taste this coffee, we think you’ll agree.
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