Unleashing Agriculture’s Potential for Papua New Guinea’s Prosperity

Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources, and agriculture plays a central role in its economy. More than one in two working-age people are employed in the sector, many of them relying on traditional farming methods and struggling to make ends meet. The Government of Papua New Guinea has declared its unwavering commitment to agriculture as the cornerstone of economic transformation—and the World Bank Group is proud to offer support on productivity, job creation, and private sector engagement.

Boosting productivity is central to this transformation. The National Agriculture Sector Plan sets clear goals: transform the country into a commercial, export-oriented economy by 2033, with one million new jobs and enhanced food security. To achieve this, farmers will need support to scale up —producing not just for their own households but for markets at home and abroad.

This means upskilling farmers, mitigating food loss along the supply chain, and updating processing facilities so that raw outputs can become higher-value products for sale and export. We’re proud to support the government in assessing priority value chains—such as coffee, cocoa, livestock, coconut, and rice—where it makes sense to invest and advance commercialization.

Job creation is equally critical. More than a livelihood, jobs create dignity and hope, especially for young people—and in Papua New Guinea, nearly three in five people are under the age of 25. This youth bulge is one of the highest in the Pacific region, and if properly harnessed, it will turbocharge the economy. Expanding commercial agriculture can create hundreds of thousands more jobs, particularly for young people, while opening new opportunities for those already working in the sector. Upskilling those already working in the agriculture sector will enable them to improve their incomes and livelihoods. 

Private investment will also be essential. Transforming Papua New Guinea’s agriculture sector requires more than government resources—it requires mobilizing private capital. We’re engaging with leading exporters and domestic banks to expand lending to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to strengthen Papua New Guinea’s integration and trade with regional markets. 

This work is part of the World Bank Group’s broader AgriConnect initiative, which is building a farm-to-market ecosystem in countries around the world. We’re doing this by supporting policy reforms, investing in infrastructure, attracting financing, linking producers to buyers, and harnessing digital tools to help millions of farmers move from subsistence to surplus. By aligning governments, industry, and development partners, AgriConnect aims to replace fragmented initiatives with integrated pathways that unlock private investment and jobs across the entire food system.  

Papua New Guinea is one of the first countries in East Asia and Pacific to advance this approach through AgriConnect, offering a potential model for others in the region. 

Unlocking agriculture’s potential is critical to Papua New Guinea’s long-term development, and AgriConnect will help advance that priority. Now is the time to work together, meet this moment, and match ambition with action to build a stronger agribusiness sector—one that grows the economy, creates quality jobs, and safeguards a healthy future.