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Pioneering Sustainability through Culturally Sensitive Biodiversity Conservation and Cocoa Production in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea
What cocoa means to us...
“I treat each cocoa clone like it is a gold bar. I don’t want to see poverty among my people. That’s why I say cocoa is like gold to us.”
David Vaorete
Cocoa farmer, Autonomous Region of Bougainville
"As small holder farmers, we must only plant enough cocoa trees to sustain us. Do not plant too many trees to the point you can't manage your farm. Not to mention the virgin rainforest you have to cut to expand your plantations."
Chief Noel Potungah
Community Leader & Environment Advocate, Bougainville, PNG
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Formation of Blue-Green Economy Policy Technical Working Group
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is expected to become independent from Papua New Guinea by 2027, but before then, the Bougainville government must address several challenges. These include mitigating the effects of climate change on its atoll and coastal communities, enhancing its economic base to ensure sustained growth and social progress, and safeguarding its natural environment and biodiversity.
Bougainville has the opportunity to shape the structure of its economy and learn from the experiences of its Pacific and regional neighbors.
To address these challenges, the Regional Member for Bougainville, Honorable Peter Tsiamalili, formed a Blue-Green Economy Policy Technical Working Group in January 2024. This group will develop the required policy and legislative frameworks to support investment in a sustainable economy.
The Bougainville Blue-Green Initiative recognizes the vast natural resources, including its unexplored marine environment, foreshore and mangrove landscapes, wetlands, and high elevation montane rainforests. However, there are economic and population pressures that compete with the need to protect these rare oceanic biological systems, which necessitate swift government policy interventions.
Currently, the Autonomous Bougainville Government is reviewing a draft Blue Green Economy Policy, which will provide the government with the critical policy tools to apply taxes, subsidies, and incentives, regulations and standards, public procurement, and production.
Members of the Blue-Green Economy Technical Working Group