Rural Women in Coffee inspired by Melbourne International Coffee Expo 2023
PNG Coffee was centre stage at the 2023 Melbourne International Coffee Exhibition (MICE).
MICE 2023, a highly anticipated annual event in the global coffee industry brought together coffee exporters, importers, roasters, equipment manufacturers and consumers in Melbourne, Australia to network, showcase their brands and products, make purchasing decisions, gain exposure, and get connected. The Australian Government, through its Australia-Papua New Guinea Economic Partnership, supported the participation of five PNG women coffee farmers and exporters to showcase their products at this event.
Australia is committed to promoting PNG’s unique coffee to more coffee lovers worldwide. PNG coffee exports will benefit over 2.5 million Papua New Guineans who rely on coffee as a crucial income source for their families.
PNG’s presence at MICE 2023 was an excellent platform to introduce the world to PNG’s organic coffee. The trade show booth provided an opportunity to showcase PNG’s exceptional beans, celebrate its coffee-growing communities, and allowed PNG coffee farmers and exporters to forge valuable connections within the global coffee market.
Visitors to the booth engaged with the passionate PNG coffee experts, learnt about the intricate coffee production process, and experienced a delicious taste of the diverse flavours and aromas uniquely characteristic of Papua New Guinea's quality bourbon, typica and blue mountain arabica varietals planted throughout the high altitudes of the PNG landscape.
The participants were also inspired by the back-end team who were all women, from the booth designer who did a fantastic job of capturing PNG’s natural beauty, to the roaster who roasted all the green bean samples for the show, and the barista who brewed all the roasted coffees over the three days, a Q-Grader herself (Q graders are globally certified professionals skilled in sensory evaluation of green coffee, and are employed throughout the industry).
Esther Vialeahy, General Manager of Colbran Coffeelands Limited said the event gave her a chance to taste exceptional coffee from around the world, with different flavours, brewing methods, and innovations in the coffee industry.
“This event gave me opportunities to interact and deal directly with customers and other industry professionals who can provide valuable feedback on our PNG Coffee. And I also gained insights into customer preferences and market demand, connected with industry leaders, potential clients, and fellow coffee enthusiasts. For this I am grateful,” said Ms Vialeahy.
Aida Igaso, the Manager for Gabiga Coffee Exports also said the whole experience was an eye opener as she has never attended such an event to promote PNG coffee to the world. For over a decade she only had two buyers, but at this event she met another interested buyer and has started negotiations.