Policy Notes & Briefs

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2024

This report provides an analysis of food price trends for the third quarter of 2024, covering the period from July to September. During this quarter, two rounds of data were collected per month from Kokopo, Banz, and Port Moresby in July and August. However, in September, only one round of data was collected from all markets except Port Moresby (no data collected). Only one round of data was collected in Goroka for each month in the 3rd quarter. In Lae, food price data was collected only once in August for the entire third quarter. These data gaps affect the comparability of the reported price trend and caution should be used to draw conclusions on price fluctuations. The graphs in this bulletin show price changes within the third quarter and compare the third quarter prices with the second quarter of 2024, between April and June. To access the complete food price dataset and interactive food price graphing tool, please visit our website.

Papua New Guinea rural household survey (2023): Synopsis of selected results

From May to December 2023, IFPRI implemented the 2023 PNG Rural Household Survey which was designed to understand rural livelihoods and welfare across different areas of PNG (Schmidt et al., 2024). Given the rural nature of the survey sample, almost all surveyed households depend on their own-farm production (predominantly starchy roots and tubers) to meet daily caloric needs. On average, households reported utilizing about 1.6 hectares of land for agriculture cultivation at the time of the survey. The survey collected a detailed account of the quantity of food types consumed by the household in order to estimate the average caloric intake per adult equivalent. Comparing the estimated caloric intake reported by surveyed households, with a recommended calorie intake suggests that only 45 per cent of individuals in surveyed households meet the recommended daily caloric intake for a lightly active individual. The survey also collected anthropometry data for children under five years of age and found that 36 percent of surveyed children were stunted in their growth. The 2023 Rural Household Survey represents an important effort in collecting a wide breadth of information about rural livelihoods. However, greater investments of in-depth data collection and analysis should be undertaken to examine specific components of PNG household livelihood strategies.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: July 2024

This bulletin provides an overview of select food prices during the second quarter of 2024, from April to June. During this quarter, two rounds of data were collected per month across all markets, except for Goroka in April and Lae in May, where only one round of data was collected. The prices presented here are the monthly averages. The graphs in this bulletin show price changes within the second quarter and compare second quarter prices with the first quarter of 2024, between January and March. To access the complete food price dataset, please download it from our website.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: April 2024

Price trends of Q1 of 2024 (January-March)
The price of sweet potato in lowland markets of Port Moresby, Lae and Kokopo is more than double the cost in highland markets of Goroka and Banz. The price of imported rice remained stable across all markets, except in Banz where a 1 kg bag of rice decreased by 18 percent between January and March, 2024. Prices of vegetables in Goroka market decreased on average by 13 percent (except aibika and pakchoi) between January and March. Prices of all vegetables in Port Moresby increased on average by 56 percent between January and March, 2024. Fruits such as pawpaw and pineapple had mixed price trends across market. Pineapple increased on average by 28 percent in all markets. On average, the price of pineapple per kilo increased 29 percent price in Goroka, Kokopo and Banz between January and March, 2024.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2024

This bulletin presents food price trends during the fourth quarter of 2023 and compares current prices with those of previous years (2021-2022) from major markets across Papua New Guinea using data collected by Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPD). It is important to note that during the fourth quarter of 2023, none of the markets had a complete set of fortnightly price data. While Port Moresby had fortnightly observations for October and December, the rest of the markets (Goroka, Banz Kokopo, Lae) collected price data on a monthly basis. No data was collected in the 4th quarter from Mt Hagen market. To access the complete and comprehensive price dataset, you can download it from our website. This bulletin reports the average real monthly fresh food price data from Port Moresby, Goroka, Banz, and Kokopo markets. The prices presented in this report are in real terms, adjusted for inflation using FAO consumer price index (CPI).

Potential impacts of an El Niño related drought on sweet potato consumption and prices in Papua New Guinea

Sweet potato plays an important role in the food system of Papua New Guinea (PNG), accounting for over 12 percent of total calories consumed in the country (IFPRI,2023). Three-quarters of sweet potato production takes place in the highlands where it is harvested throughout the year (Chang et al., 2013). However, the production and consumption of sweet potatoes in PNG faces several challenges, including climate change, pests and diseases, and market access constraints. In particular, a significant decline in sweet potato production due to an El Niño-related drought in early 2024 is a realistic possibility.

This memo describes analysis using a partial equilibrium model to estimate the potential effects of a shortfall in sweet potato production on market prices and consumption, including consumption levels for various types of households in the highlands and other parts of PNG. We also discuss policy options for mitigating negative effects on household welfare.

Effects of a partial ban on Papua New Guinea’s imports of poultry products

In 2023, Papua New Guinea introduced a partial ban on poultry imports from Australia and Asian countries (representing about 70 percent of total PNG poultry imports) in response to the biosecurity threat posed by Avian Influenza (bird flu). Such a restriction on supply has the potential to lead to sharp price increases, steep reductions in household consumption and greater food insecurity.

This memo presents an overview of PNG’s poultry sector and describes an analysis of the ef fects of these trade restrictions on poultry prices, production and consumption using a partial equilibrium model of PNG’s poultry sector. This new analysis builds on earlier work (Dorosh and Schmidt, 2023) that explored the implications of a total ban on poultry imports, by simulating the impacts of a partial poultry ban, including the effects on various household groups within PNG.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2023

Download time series food price data, and build graphs and tables for over 20 different food crops at our food price database webpage: https://www.ifpri.org/project/fresh food-price-analysis-papua-new-guinea Price trends in Q3, 2023 Staple Crops: Sweet potato prices were relatively stable across all markets, with prices ticking upwards at the end of the third quarter in highlands markets. Comparing quarter 2 and 3 average prices on specific commodities, Port Moresby experienced the largest increase in taro price/kg at 76 percent while Banz experienced a 10 percent decrease in cassava price/kg. Vitamin-dense foods: vegetable prices varied across markets in the third quarter of 2023, with some prices decreasing and others increasing. Prices of most vegetables in Port Moresby decreased from August to September, while prices of English cabbage, capsicum, and carrots in Lae increased by 10%. Fresh Fruits: Prices varied across markets in the second and third quarters of 2023. Ripe banana prices increased in Lae and Banz but decreased in Port Moresby, Mt Hagen, and Goroka. Lemon prices increased in all markets except Lae.

CACCI country profile Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea ranks among the countries most at risk to natural disasters and climate change (World Bank, 2021). Increased exposure to natural hazards such as coastal and inland river flooding as well as landslides are likely to intensify in PNG, affecting agriculture production patterns and household livelihoods. In addition, the IPCC’s 5th Assessment Report suggests that Pacific coral reefs face a negative outlook under all climate change scenarios, whereby increased coral bleaching will have significant negative impacts on the health of coastal fisheries in PNG (Nurse et al., 2014).

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: July 2023

Download time series food price data, and build graphs and tables for over 20 different food crops at our food price database webpage: https://www.ifpri.org/project/freshfood-price-analysis-papua-new-guinea. Price trends in Q2, 2023Staple Crops: Between Q1 and Q2, the price of sweet potato declined 19 percent (except in Lae, up 30 percent), taro decreased 5 percent (except Lae and Banz, up 11 percent), cassava fell 8 percent (except Goroka, up 17 percent), and cooking banana cooking decreased 14 percent (except Lae and Banz, up 16 and 5 percent, respectively). Vitamin-dense foods: On average, vegetable (aibika, choko-tips, English cabbage, carrot, and capsicum) prices increased 15 percent between Q1 and Q2, except in Goroka, Kokopo, and Mt Hagen, where the price of aibika, English cabbage, and carrot decreased by 8 percent. Fresh Fruits: Lemon and orange prices decreased 15 percent and 8 percent between Q1 and Q2, while ripe banana, watermelon, and pawpaw slightly increased by 4 percent. Compared to other markets, the price of oranges and lemons are expensive in Port Moresby at 11.5 PGK/kg and 7.6 PGK/kg, respectively. Banz, Mt Hagen, and Goroka experienced average price increases in ripe banana, pawpaw, and watermelon of 21, 14 and 21 percent, respectively.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: April 2023

Download time series food price data, and build graphs and tables for over 20 different food crops at our food price database webpage: https://www.ifpri.org/project/freshfood-price-analysis-papua-newguinea. In the first quarter of 2023, the average price of sweet potatoes (except in Port Moresby) and taro declined by 14 and 17 percent, respectively, in all markets. Rice prices remained stable in all markets during the 1st quarter of 2023, however long-term (2021 real) rice price (1 kilo bag) has increased 13% between the 2nd quarter of 2021 and the 1st quarter of 2023. Leafy vegetables (aibika, choko-tips, English cabbage, pakchoi) prices increased 31 percent (in nominal terms) in Kokopo between January and March. However, average green leafy vegetable prices in Port Moresby decreased by 19 percent, except for Aibika. In Mt Hagen, choko-tips and pakchoi prices were up by 27 percent from January, while aibika and English cabbage decreased by 11 percent between January and March.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2023

Users can download time series food price data, and build graphs and tables for over 20 different food crops at our food price database webpage: https://www.ifpri.org/project/freshfood-price-analysis-papua-newguinea. The average (nominal) price of staple foods in Port Moresby was 22 percent less (in nominal terms) in the 4th quarter of 2022 compared to quarter 4 of 2021. The 2022 quarter 4 price of sweet potato and taro in Kokopo was 22 percent greater compared to the same quarter in 2021. In addition green leafy vegetables price increased, in part due to unseasonably dry weather in East New Britain. Despite a rising global food price trend in 2022 as a result of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, increasing fuel prices, and weather stress, the price of imported rice in PNG remains relatively stable, with an average annual (nominal) price variation of 10 percent across 4 markets. In December 2022 a kilo of rice (Roots rice) cost 4.03 PGK/kg, compared to 5.07 PGK/kg in Port Moresby.

Synopsis: Improving agricultural value chain coordination and gender inclusiveness in Papua New Guinea

Maximizing efficiency throughout the entire agri-food value chain is critical to fostering greater economic growth and poverty reduction in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Investments in midstream value chain infrastructure (e.g., improved storage facilities, rural feeder roads, electricity, and cold storage transport) are crucial to strengthen linkages between producers and consumers. These investments should also promote inclusive development that benefits both men and women value chain actors. In this study, we analyzed three key value chains in Papua New Guinea—poultry, sweet potato, and fresh vegetables—aiming to guide policymakers and stakeholders toward ways to improve productivity, increase revenue, and bolster competitiveness and inclusiveness within the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Synopsis: Implications of public investments and external shocks on agriculture, economic growth and poverty in Papua New Guinea: An economywide analysis

Policy simulations utilizing an economy-wide model based on PNG national accounts and survey data highlight the importance of linkages between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors of the PNG economy. There are potentially major benefits of increased agricultural productivity for national income and urban households. To reduce rural poverty, however, transport and processing costs must be lowered, as well. Even if only half of the increase in foreign exchange earnings from the 2022 world energy price shock is absorbed into the PNG economy, the real exchange rate appreciates by 13 percent, reducing incomes from export crops. However, increased domestic demand for non-tradable crops contributes to a 10 percent income gain for the rural poor. Using a portion of increased oil and natural gas revenues to finance new investments in crop agriculture, processing and transport, provides even greater benefits by spurring real GDP growth and raising real household incomes by an additional 2 to 4 percentage points. A hypothetical carbon credit arrangement in which PNG reduces deforestation in exchange for funds used to finance cash transfers to the poorest 20 percent of both urban and rural households could raise the incomes of these groups by about 13 percent.

Synopsis: Rural household welfare in Papua New Guinea: Food security and nutrition challenges

While a lot of development planning and policy attention has been dedicated to achieving dietary energy (i.e., calorie) adequacy to ensure food security and support greater household wellbeing, nutrition adequacy is also necessary to achieve improved human development indicators (e.g., improved educational attainment, decreased disease prevalence, and decreased child stunting prevalence). This study (explained in detail in the comprehensive working paper) calculates two poverty lines based on the costs that an individual faces in PNG to secure a diet consisting of foods typically consumed by poor households adjusted to align with a calorie threshold and healthy diet thresholds, respectively, together with modest non-food expenditures. Results suggest that over half of the sample households are unable to meet the necessary costs of ensuring an calorie equate modest food basket along with some basic non-food needs (Schmidt et al., 2022). Comparing the healthy diet poverty line to average household income suggests that attaining a nutritious, balanced diet while meeting other basic needs remains out of reach for nearly 4/5 of the rural sample households. Based on the study results, we identify 3 key interventions to improve food and nutrition security in vulnerable areas. First, PNG will continue to face disruptive climate events that quickly increase agricultural vulnerability and food insecurity in remote areas with limited market access and underdeveloped support services. The government of PNG in collaboration with development partners should pilot a series of social safety net programs that can assist vulnerable populations. These programs can be designed to build resiliency during non-shock seasons or years, such as improving livestock holdings, diversifying crop mix, investing in sustainable land management, and building agricultural production and other rural infrastructure for improved marketing and access to agricultural inputs. Second, a concerted effort is needed to promote the importance of nutrition at all levels of society. At the household level, training should aim to instill (for both men and women) the value of a costlier, but more nutritious diet. District and regional government officials, healthcare workers and other key stakeholders should be trained on methodologies to integrate nutrition programming into other development activities. High-level government dialogue and learning should aim to encourage greater coordination between local and federal government officials and across government departments to ensure improved nutrition outcomes for greater agricultural productivity and economic growth. Finally, PNG (both government and development partners) must invest in more timely data collection of key welfare indicators to inform nutrition targets and assistance programming.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: July 2022

This bulletin presents food price data compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) from markets across the country to track food price trends and inform policymakers. In addition, users can access a web-based interactive dashboard for visualizing monthly prices of over 20 different food types over time. Price data collected in 2021 had comparatively higher number of observations compared to the previous year. However, data collection was interrupted in August through mid-September due to logistical challenges and market closures as a result of the COVID-19 surge in PNG, mainly in highland markets, creating gaps in the time series price data.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: April 2022

The per kilo sweet potato (2020 real) price in Port Moresby and Lae in the 1st quarter of 2022 were nearly double the per kilo sweet potato price of the 1st quarter of 2021. The price of cassava and taro held stable in quarter 1 with minimal price changes between January and April across all markets. While, globally, commodity food prices are rising due to supply chain issues and concerns over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, thus far rice prices in PNG remain stable. Vitamin dense fresh vegetables are more costly than staple foods in PNG. However, in Goroka, Mt. Hagen, and Lae, the kg prices of broccoli, carrot and cabbage in the first quarter of 2022 were comparable to taro and cooking banana.

Synopsis: Improving agricultural productivity in Papua New Guinea: Strategic and policy considerations

In a recent working paper, we examine staple and cash crop production yields in Papua New Guinea (PNG). In doing so, we assess the yield gap (difference between the crop yields farmers commonly obtain and what they might realize with optimal inputs and crop management) for the main staple food crops in PNG. The yield gap for sweet potato is the smallest (1/4 - 1/3 less than attainable yields), while banana shows the largest yield gap at about ¾ less than what might be achieved under intensive cultivation. In addition, we compare PNG agricultural output with areas of similar growing conditions in Indonesia to provide insight into potential investments to further spur agricultural productivity in PNG. Finally, we assess current sector policies in PNG that aim to support agricultural development as an engine for economic growth.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: January 2022

This bulletin presents food price data compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) from markets across the country to track food price trends and inform policymakers. In addition, users can access a web-based interactive dashboard for visualizing monthly prices of over 20 different food types over time. Price data collected in 2021 had comparatively higher number of observations compared to the previous year. However, data collection was interrupted in August through mid-September due to logistical challenges and market closures as a result of the COVID-19 surge in PNG, mainly in highland markets, creating gaps in the time series price data.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: October 2021

Sweet potato and cassava prices in Port Moresby gradually increased in quarter 3, however staple prices in other markets (Lae, Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Kokopo) across the country remained relatively stable . Vitamin-rich food (such as carrots, broccoli, and pawpaw) prices remained relatively stable in quarter 3. Select vegetable and fruit prices increased in Port Moresby.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: August 2021

During April through June 2021, market price data were collected routinely by the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), providing an important baseline for future market price analysis. In addition, the team fully implemented the new tablet price data collection tools which were built to improve data collection accuracy. The new price data questionnaire has decreased the list of diverse crops for price collection to focus on greater data quality collection, while maintaining important staple crops and a selection of fruit and vegetable crops. An accompanying trader survey that asks questions about production and sales volumes, transaction costs, and market processes was piloted in early April and will be fully implemented in Quarter 3 of 2021.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: May 2021

During the first quarter of 2021, the International Food Research Institute (IFPRI) in collaboration with the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) and the National Research Institute (NRI) collaborated to update the tools used to collect important crop price information in food markets across the country. In addition, the team designed and piloted a new market vendor survey that will inform function and performance of fresh food markets, as well as identify challenges and opportunities for fresh food supply and logistics supply chain processes. Results of the first market vendor survey will be published in the 2nd quarter bulletin in July, 2021.

Papua New Guinea food price bulletin: December 2020

Prices of major food staples in Kokopo, Lae and Port Moresby have remained broadly stable over 2019 and 2020. The exceptions are prices of sweet potatoes and cooking bananas in Port Moresby, which declined between mid-2019 and the third quarter of 2020. Per kilogram prices of vitamin-dense foods such as broccoli, carrot and karakap are typically higher than prices of starchy staples. Prices of both carrots and broccoli in Lae rose in mid-2020, but have declined in the last quarter of 2020 and October prices were close to their price levels in late 2019. More consistent and timely price data collection and database management is necessary for informative food market analysis. Price data reported in this bulletin by crop and market is limited to 10 observations (at most) out of a possible of 24 fortnights in 2019. The rate of price data reporting has been lower in 2020, in part due to Covid-19 related disruptions.

Effects of COVID-19 on Papua New Guinea’s food economy: A multi-market simulation analysis

Developments in the agricultural economy of Papua New Guinea have major impacts on household food consumption decisions. A household’s ability to produce and sell food is affected by climate and associated agricultural potential, market opportunities (domestic, import and export) and unexpected shocks. Each of these factors affects the overall food system, thereby influencing production and consumption of all food products and the markets in which they are traded. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a challenge far more complex than an agricultural production shock, such as those due to El Niño or pests. Rather than directly affecting agricultural output and rural household welfare, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected economies across the globe via trade disruptions (logistic challenges; international trade barriers), social distancing policies (domestic food market and nonessential business closures), and transportation restrictions (road closures; air travel cancellations). The measures aimed to curb the spread of COVID-19 have affected household incomes via urban job losses, reduced market interaction, and dramatic changes in world food prices. While rice prices have increased, luxury food prices, such as for chocolate (i.e. cocoa), have decreased. PNG’s unique and highly varied biophysical landscape has shaped agricultural production patterns, outcomes, and livelihoods for centuries. Understanding how the PNG agrifood economy and resulting household consumption is affected by COVID-19 therefore requires attention to linkages and substitution effects across various products and the markets in which they are traded.

Rice price shocks and household welfare in Papua New Guinea

Rice prices in international markets rose sharply between December 2019 and May 2020, increasing, for example, by 25 percent in Thailand and 30 percent in Vietnam. Given that essentially all of the rice supply for Papua New Guinea (PNG) comes from rice imports, the domestic price of rice in PNG is likely to rise substantially in coming months. Although PNG’s food economy is dominated by domestically produced starchy staples, rice imports have almost doubled from 167,000 tons annually in 2005 to an estimated 300,000 tons in 2020. This note examines rice consumption patterns and international trade trends for PNG to shed light on the potential impacts in rural and urban PNG of disruptions to rice imports. Our model simulations indicate that a 30 percent rise in the world price of rice would be expected to decrease the rice consumption of poor households by 17.3 percent. Under this scenario, consumers in poor households, which are those in the bottom 40 percent of the household expenditure distribution in PNG, would suffer a net welfare loss of USD 23.0 million, equivalent to a 1.6 percent decrease in a per capita daily income of one US dollar.

Agri-food trade trends in Papua New Guinea: Reflections on COVID-19 policies and dietary change

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique challenge to governments across the globe, reinforcing the need to improve understanding of domestic and international trade trends to provide more informed options for policy response. Papua New Guinea’s growing international trade in food and other agricultural products will continue to be important to overall food security outcomes among rural and urban households in the country. Rural households that produce key export cash-crops, such as coffee, cocoa, or palm oil, depend on the cash economy to supplement their food consumption, while urban households depend on rice and other agri-food imports, as well as domestic goods, for consumption. This project note focuses on trends in agrifood imports and exports during the last two decades to better evaluate potential changes in import demand and export potential for PNG. In doing so, it informs an upcoming economy-wide multi-market model analysis that will evaluate a variety of potential shocks to PNG’s agri-food system on household welfare in order to identify policies to manage potential food security threats. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of many diverse shocks that may adversely affect the economy of PNG over the next decade. The expansion of a portfolio of organized databases, analytical tools, and policy resources, such as the multimarket model, is warranted to facilitate real-time policy analyses to inform key development investments and initiatives.

Papua New Guinea

PNG’s agricultural research expenditure declined steadily during 2013–2017 as the combined result of reductions in both donor and government funding. In 2017, PNG invested just 0.31 percent of its AgGDP in agricultural research. In contrast to spending, agricultural researcher numbers rose progressively during 2013–2017 to reach 146 FTEs in total. The country’s research agencies lack the critical mass of highly qualified researchers and accompanying infrastructure needed to address the multidisciplinary challenges facing the agricultural sector. Many critical research areas remain overlooked.

How do perceptions of relative poverty affect women's empowerment? Evidence from Papua New Guinea

How do perceptions of one's relative economic status affect gender attitudes, including support for women's economic participation and their involvement in decision-making within their household and community? Increased feelings of relative economic vulnerability may lead to greater intra-household tension under a scenario of women seeking greater advancement economically and socially. In this instance, women’s empowerment could be perceived as a threat in a context of limited economic opportunity. On the other hand, to the extent that empowering women can improve household welfare, feeling economically vulnerable could motivate more egalitarian gender attitudes with respect to economic participation. For example, women's labor force participation brings income into the household, and women's involvement in decision-making can facilitate more efficient land management (Dillon and Voena, 2018; Goldstein and Udry, 2008; Seymour, 2017) and bring about better health (Beegle et al., 2001; Dinçer et al., 2014; Sraboni et al., 2014), nutrition (Ekbrand and Halleröd, 2018; Imai et al., 2014; Lépine and Strobl, 2013; Smith and Haddad, 2001; Smith et al., 2003), and education (Qian, 2008) outcomes for household members. As one of the first papers to investigate the impact of perceptions of relative poverty on gender attitudes, a December 2019 IFPRI Discussion Paper by Katrina Kosec, Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, Emily Schmidt, and Jie Song shows that perceptions of relative poverty translate into greater support for girls’ schooling and women’s engagement in paid employment. In other words, relative economic insecurity can prompt support for women's economic participation. However, this support is not necessarily accompanied by greater support for women’s involvement in community and intra-household decision-making. Feeling relatively poor triggered an increased desire among women to have decision-making authority within the household; however, there was no change in men’s attitudes about women’s role in decision-making. The paper underscores the complicated nature of gender attitudes, and how support for women's economic participation may rise without simultaneous increases in women's agency in decision-making.

Evaluating the welfare effects of nonfarm enterprises on rural households in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the country with the largest rural population share in the East Asia and Pacific region. In addition, PNG is affected by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climatic events that in severe years cause significant food insecurity due to failed agricultural production. Shrinking land holdings for agricultural production due to the growing population together with climate risk motivates many rural households to explore off-farm income generating opportunities. The analysis reported on here evaluates the importance of nonfarm employment in rural areas in PNG in diversifying risk to household welfare (associated with weather shocks, crop pests and diseases, agricultural price fluctuations, etc.), in smoothing seasonal income fluctuations, and in absorbing excess labor in households with limited agricultural resources. Our study draws upon a wide-ranging literature focused on the role of nonfarm enterprises in the livelihood strategies of rural households globally, e.g., de Janvry and Sadoulet 2001; Lanjouw and Lanjouw 2001; Jayne et al. 2003; Barrett et al. 2005; Haggblade et al. 2007; Lay et al. 2008. We use data collected from rural households in PNG between May and July 2018 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The survey was administered to 1,026 households in 70 communities across specific districts in East Sepik, Madang, and West Sepik provinces and in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Respondent households were asked detailed questions about any nonfarm enterprises (NFE) in which they were involved, including questions on ownership, labor characteristics, and income generation. We explore how engaging in an NFE affects household welfare. In doing so, we evaluate two questions: 1) What barriers to entry exist for male- versus female-owned NFEs? 2) Do the welfare effects of NFE ownership differ by the sex of the owner? Overall, we find that households with an NFE have significantly higher annual per capita consumption compared to matched households without an NFE, amounting to an average increase in the value of annual household consumption of 180 kina (PGK) per capita. In addition, households with an NFE consume approximately 9.5 grams more protein per person per day and achieve greater diversity in their diets compared to households without an NFE. We find that the positive effects of NFE ownership on welfare outcomes are largely driven by male-owned and jointly-owned (male and female) NFEs. The welfare outcomes attributable to female-owned NFEs are much smaller.

Access to iodized salt in four areas of rural Papua New Guinea

Dietary iodine deficiency results in stunted physical and mental growth in children. Fortifying commercial household salt with a small but adequate amount of iodine is the principal strategy used globally to prevent iodine deficiency. However, there may be barriers to consuming adequately iodized salt for many rural households in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Using results from a rural household survey conducted in four areas of the country in 2018 that was administered to just over 1,000 households, two issues related to salt iodization in PNG are examined. First, only about 9 percent of survey households reported that they did not consume iodized table salt in the seven days prior to being interviewed for the survey. However, specific characteristics are associated with such households. They tend to be located in remote communities, are in the poorest 20 percent of survey households, have no members who received any formal education, and have experienced recent food insecurity. Particularly for remote households, ensuring that their members consume sufficient iodine will require going beyond salt iodization to use other approaches to iodine supplementation. Second, of the samples of salt obtained from the survey households, the iodine content of two-thirds fell within the PNG regulations, a reasonably encouraging finding. Only about 17 percent of the almost 800 samples obtained had inadequate iodine. However, when the salt samples were examined by brand, it was found that the brand most commonly consumed had the highest share of samples with inadequate iodine levels. Closer monitoring of the iodine content in table salt produced or imported into PNG and enforcement of salt iodization regulations is required.

Can mobile phone-based household surveys in rural Papua New Guinea generate information representative of the population surveyed?

Conducting household surveys through face-to-face interviewing in rural Papua New Guinea is beset with difficulties and high costs. With phone network coverage spreading across PNG, using mobile phones to obtain information from respondents can allow such surveys to be done more quickly and at significantly lower cost. However, not all rural households own mobile phones. In this Project Note, an assessment is made of whether survey information collected by calling respondents on their mobile phones will be representative of the population surveyed or, rather, might be subject to systematic biases. This assessment is done by analyzing the characteristics of households in four rural areas of PNG that were interviewed in a field survey in mid-2018.

Synopsis: Papua New Guinea household survey on food systems (2018): Initial findings

This research note provides a description of the survey sample and implementation and reports on initial findings from analysis of the survey data. Our aim is to use this research and evidence to spur a policy dialogue on promoting increased agricultural productivity, enhanced food security, and improved nutrition policies in PNG. Initial survey results show that most of the food consumed by rural households in the sample is produced from households’ own farms, indicating that consumption is closely linked with overall agricultural productivity. Classifying the survey sample by poor and non-poor households, we find that the poor households are not consuming the recommended daily calorie levels, considered necessary for a healthy and productive life. The survey data also suggest that child stunting (29 percent) and wasting (7 percent) are relatively high in the surveyed areas.

2015 Nutrition country profile: Papua New Guinea

The 193 individual country profiles capture the status and progress of all UN Member States, and the 80+ indicators include a wealth of information on child, adolescent and adult anthropometry and nutritional status, in addition to intervention coverage, food supply, economics, and demography. This tool is particularly useful for nutrition champions at the country-level, as it presents a wide range of evidence needed to assess country progress in improving nutrition and nutrition-related outcomes.

2014 Nutrition country profile: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea