The development of Kwame in the past, now and the future is tied in with a PNG way of life of living in harmony with the environment. The owners of Kwame and the neighboring block of land known as Dahudauwa (Pronounced: Da-hu-da-hu-ah) has tended to be a social enterprise where skilled and semi-skilled people could develop and fine tune their skills in fellowship with others. Over its 60 years of stewardship, Kwame has encouraged development of sustainable house materials (including lumber), copra, beche-de-mer, vanilla, market and food-security gardens and mangoes. Kwame even had boats built on its shore! These development endeavours have been sought to provide a means of living for people in Kwame and surrounding communities with the intention of transforming into a formal economy.
Our thinking is that farm stays such as Kwame will provide a diversification of means of income for its people, an opportunity for overnight and day guests to experience genuine PNG hospitality, and a peaceful experience born out of its peoples great service to preserving its environment. Market gardens for example will provide an organic, healthy and affordable means of providing vital food security for local families, guests, and communities as well as the province and nation.
In terms of the bigger picture world food security benefits greatly from high intensive farming however it does not necessarily bode well for all food producers to be forced to produce at the higher intensity level if it is their choice to produce at a lower and slower rate. Those of us who choose lower levels of farming intensity do so because we choose lower income. That is our choice and we do so knowing that we will be producing healthy and affordable food.
The local food economy in Milne Bay may seem rudimentary but one would argue that it is more beneficial to its locals than any large-scale commercial farming operation. Produce is always seasonal; it is almost never irrigated, and no pesticides are ever used. It also requires very little equipment. This means that market food is always affordable and always delicious (anyone should try a locally grown pineapple when in-season!). I don’t live in Alotau but if I did I would be supporting the farmers market every day in choice over the supermarket wherever possible. I would much rather have an organically grown orange or mango than an aerated drink.
To contrast the development initiatives happening at Kwame; the PNG lands department has held the responsibility of reviewing progress and adjusting the lease rents every decade for the past 50 years (as determined by legislation). During this time Kwame had representatives from the department visit once in June 2023 after its first review of the lease. It is also our experience to wait years of even decades to have titles issued or land surveyed. This is certainly not a reflection of the entire PNG government as other government organisations such as Milne Bay Tourism and PNG Forests have visited in recent years, with the goal of offering encouragement and support.
Despite this, we have increased our capacity via building more market gardens, vanilla plantations, coconut plantations, mango plantation, forest trees for timber planted on the grassland, and farm stays for overnight and day guests. Our current plans in place are for construction of two additional bungalows, a higher intensity chicken and pig farm, more coconut trees, and securing markets for cured vanilla beans.
Traditional skills such as market gardening, fishing, and crafts should therefore be not only practiced but also encouraged. We do so at Kwame confidently knowing that guests who come and stay will appreciate it.
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