A women-focused Canberra-based NGO just won bronze at the Royal Adelaide Coffee Show
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While violence affects us all, violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive human rights violations in the world.
Canberra-based NGO Friends of Femili PNG believes that all women have the right to a life free of family and sexual violence. Our work, and the work of our partners at Femili PNG, is focused on creating and sustaining change. On building and maintaining partnerships that contribute to a Papua New Guinea free of family and sexual violence. How did that lead us to win Bronze at the Royal Adelaide Coffee Show?
As with all non-profit organisations, fundraising is crucial to supporting our work. This led us in 2022 to partner with the Ukuni Women and Niugini Arabica, with the goal of selecting, roasting and shipping coffee all over Australia. Last week, we were thrilled to have the quality of our beans recognised with a bronze award at the 2023 Royal Adelaide Coffee Show.
Femili PNG Coffee received a bronze medal at the Royal Adelaide Coffee Show, in the ‘Single Origin Latte’ category.
Globally, one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime. In Papua New Guinea, that rate increases to two in three.
Tackling family and sexual violence in Papua New Guinea is complex. Survivors need support accessing safe accommodation, medical assistance, law and justice interventions, and more. Community leaders need training to deliver services; and families need education to address violence in their day-to-day lives.
We know that local people, local communities, and local organisations are best placed to respond to these needs. That’s why our Canberra-based NGO is focused on supporting Femili PNG to deliver these services to survivors of violence on the ground, in Papua New Guinea. Our coffee is an extension of this – with every cup raising funds for Femili PNG’s life-changing work.
When searching for the perfect coffee bean, it was important to us that our partners reflected our focus on empowering women and enabling locally-led development. This led us to the Ukuni Women in Coffee Association—a cooperative of 194 female farmers, who grow coffee beans in the Western Highlands region of Papua New Guinea.
Members of the Ukuni Women in Coffee Association, who grow our Femili PNG Coffee beans.
The Ukuni village is located remotely, with limited access to services and infrastructure. This has resulted in coffee becoming the main source of income for these women and their communities. By selling their coffee beans in Australia, Friends of Femili PNG aimed to provide economic opportunities to the local female farmers. And the quality of their coffee beans is helping us do just that.
The Ukuni women grow their coffee beans naturally, free from chemicals and pesticides, at higher than 1600m above sea level. They pick the beans by hand, and dry them in a coffee house located inside the village. These farming methods – combined with the Western Highland’s ideal temperatures and rich volcanic soils – create some of the world’s best conditions for growing coffee. Our award is reflective of the Ukuni Women’s quality work.
Green coffee beans, grown by the Ukuni Women in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinean coffee beans are quite unique, and need to be roasted using specialised techniques to bring out their full range of distinctive flavours. If we wanted our coffee to be a success, we knew we needed to find an exceptional roaster.
Based in Canberra, Australia, Niugini Arabica were perfect to take on this role. They specialise in roasting Papua New Guinean coffee, and expertly roast our Femili PNG coffee beans onsite at their Duffy café.
“The award is an honour for us, but is testimony to the women farming cooperative that we source the beans from,” said Dr Theo Levantis, one of Niugini Arabica’s owners. “The beans they produce are truly excellent.”
Coffee beans being roasted at Niugini Arabica’s cafe in Duffy, ACT.
As explained by Dr Levantis, “our job as roasters is to make sure that the beans are roasted in a way that highlights the beautiful flavours and aromas that are intrinsic to the beans.” Niugini Arabica’s commitment to Femili PNG Coffee has played an enormous role in us achieving this award.
“We are extremely grateful for this award, and the great work of our coffee farmers and roaster in helping us to achieve it”, said Lauren Hallett, CEO of Friends of Femili PNG. “It will help Femili PNG to continue their important work.”
