Papua New Guinea

Unlocking global innovation potential for PNG’s agricultural industry

Having supported >50 global AgriTech innovators ‘land and launch’ to solve challenges in Australia, India, and Vietnam, Beanstalk and MDF are together launching GRAFT to support farmers and enterprises across the agricultural value chain in PNG.

GRAFT PNG is purpose-built to enable local value chain leaders to solve their most pressing challenges by leveraging the best of the global innovation ecosystem

1. The first challenge-led AgriTech initiative in Papua New Guinea 

2. Build visibility and partnerships for PNG agribusinesses to global innovation ecosystem, with focus on intensively-planned and –supported tech trials 

3. Build the case & roadmap for AgTech innovators across the world to grow in(to) PNG's agriculture sector 

Launch Video

Launching open innovation to solve Papua New Guinea’s most pressing agrifood challenges

An open innovation initiative helping Papua New Guinea cocoa industry solve its most challenges

Tackling the challenge of smoke taint in processed cocoa

GRAFT will help to identify and fast-track high-potential solutions to tackle the challenge of smoke taint across the supply chain, including deployment of 3+ technical trials by Q1 2023.

As chocolate makers around the world continue to promote and elevate standards of quality and sustainability, many critical trade partners for PNG's cocoa market have signaled their intention to procure entirely 'smoke taint free' in years to come. To maintain and expand access to markets, PNG farmers and value chains will need to accelerate the identification and adoption of new technologies & practices to eliminate - or better manage - smoke taint in cocoa. Alternative sources of heat present one opportunity, but have yet to fit the unique operating environment and challenges of PNG's smallholder value chains to date. GRAFT will help to identify and fast-track high-potential solutions to tackle the challenge of smoke taint across the supply chain, including deployment of 3+ technical trials by Q1 2023.

Key Program Stages

Define Challenge

July - August ‘22

  • Establish industry and knowledge partners to bring challenge focus and depth

  • Undertake challenge diligence clearly parameterise

  • Clearly defined headline challenge and associate sub-challenges to inform campaign and outreach

Source Solutions

Sept - Nov ‘22

  • Develop campaign for region-wide launch

  • Virtual showcases with industry partners to drive heightened challenge awareness

  • Solution diligence from all applications

  • Selection and public announcement of selected providers for commercial trial

Commercial Trials

Dec ‘22 - Jan ‘23

  • Doing business in PNG bootcamp and workshops

  • Mentor and advisor matching to be supporting each solution provider over the course of in-market engagement and trial design

  • Trial design workshop and pathway to commercial partnership

  • Continued monitoring and evaluation

How can you be involved?

Industry Partners

Agribusinesses and other organisation’s across the agricultural value chain with a clear challenge they'd like to see solved.

    • Raise the profile of challenges you know need solving

    • Scout and nominate promising solutions

    • Trial technology, troubleshoot and fast-track development for game-changing solutions

    • Get leverage from industry partners, experts, and international institutions

    • Build your open innovation muscle, with focus on outcome-oriented start-up engagement

    • Add to your reputation as an innovation driver within the agrifood industry

    • Actively participate in industry group focused on challenge discovery

    • Activate your marketing and comms efforts to broadcast the challenge

    • Participate in virtual showcases and activations to raise awareness around the challenge

    • Reviewing solutions and helping with selection

    • Participate in trial design workshops

    • Deploy pilot trials to validate technical feasibility and solution viability

Knowledge Partners

Industry experts, technology transfer specialists, business support service providers, and other individuals who could benefit from the GRAFT network of agribusinesses and start-up solution providers.

    • Build commercial and advisory relationships with industry, public sector, and startup solution providers

    • Expand your network through access to the GRAFT network of industry, knowledge, and startup solution provider partners across the region

    • Elevate your brand by associating with high-profile and impact-led innovations transforming smallholder value chains

    • Help to validate and further qualify critical industry challenges

    • Provide technical and/or commercial advisory services to startup solution providers & our industry partners – ranging from market intelligence to trial management and technical partnerships

    • Engage with the GRAFT community of advisory partners to extend reach and relevance of expertise and capabilities

Challenge Catalysts

Donor & philanthropic partners aiming to positively impact smallholder value chains through the development of a positively impactful, collaborative, and globally-connected innovation ecosystem.

    • Contribute to driving lasting impact for smallholder value chains

    • Build relationships with other industry and public sector leaders

    • Enrich partnerships by deepening your involvement and credentials with local agricultural businesses and join the global agricultural technology network

    • Elevate brand impact by associating with impact-led innovations that transform smallholder value chains

    • Commit catalytic seed funding to leverage co-investment by Industry Partners

    • Assist in identifying and validating high-level challenges

    • Help to make warm introductions to relevant stakeholders that may be important to defining the challenge, solution outreach and trial implementation

    • Engage with the GRAFT virtual showcases and activations to help mobilise industry engagement and reach

Beanstalk is an innovation agency dedicated to unleashing the potential for agriculture to be the leading force for good. We exist to support corporations, start-up innovators, investors, and government bodies across the Indo-Pacific to advance sustainable, ethical, and responsible food systems. Our team consists of agriculture, innovation, strategy, and operation experts based out of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Singapore. 

Beanstalk’s core competency is in helping our clients to navigate and adopt leading practices and technologies, with purpose and clarity. Our advantage lies at the intersection of our deep domain expertise, our open innovation mindset, and our regional and global networks. We leverage our agricultural industry experience and global network to scout, trial and scale solutions for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow, today. We're not just about writing reports, we're about getting stuff done - rolling up our sleeves for commercial impact. 

Market Development Facility is an Australian Government funded multi-country initiative which promotes sustainable economic development, through higher incomes for women and men, in our partner countries.  

We connect individuals, businesses, governments and NGOs with each other, and with markets at home and abroad. This enhances investment and coordination and allows partnerships to flourish, strengthening inclusive economic growth.  

In each country of operation, MDF has a portfolio of interventions that support private sector businesses on different aspects such as access to technical advisory services, selective infrastructure support, marketing and promotion, and regulatory reform.  

MDF is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) and is  implemented by Palladium in partnership with Swisscontact. 

Join Us

Are you an agribusiness looking for innovations to transform your business in Papua New Guinea? 

Or perhaps you are a venture capital investor looking for unique deal flow and insights into established and scalable AgriTech innovators? 

Join us as we find solutions to solve Papua New Guinea’s most pressing challenges in agriculture and provide leading agribusiness companies visibility into innovations transforming the agrifood industry across Papua New Guinea in the GRAFT Challenge 2022. 

Justin Ahmed

Phoebe Norman

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