Rural futures in focus: Papua New Guinea

IFAD 16 December 2025

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is blessed with natural resources and a young, dynamic and strikingly diverse population, speaking over 800 languages. Yet its agricultural potential remains untapped. We caught up with Reehana Raza, IFAD’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, to learn more after her recent visit to the island country. During her time in PNG, she saw the impact of the IFAD-supported Market for Village Farmers (MVF) project.

What are the unique challenges that rural people face in PNG?

I visited village farmers in one of the seven provinces the MVF project covers. The challenges these families face aren't just minor bumps in the road – they're fundamental hurdles to durable economic growth. 

A little over 39 per cent of the country lives below the poverty line. That's nearly four out of every 10 people. In the areas where IFAD works, families also struggle with low literacy rates and high levels of malnutrition. It's tough to get ahead when you’re worried about your next meal and can't easily access education. 

Most farming families rely on traditional, semi-subsistence agriculture. They grow just enough to feed their family, which means they don't have much extra to sell. This keeps incomes low and makes them incredibly vulnerable to bad weather or disease. 

Even if they do grow extra, getting it to a local market across PNG's mountainous, densely forested landscape is a huge problem. Poor infrastructure means that produce often spoils before it can be sold. That lost time and ruined produce directly translates into lost money for farmers. 

See https://www.ifad.org/en/w/opinions/rural-futures-in-focus-papua-new-guinea