Papua New Guinea · Autonomous Region of Bougainville
reviewed
admixture
Cocoa is a leading cash crop in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. After disruption from the 1990s conflict and the cocoa pod borer, rehabilitation programmes have rebuilt smallholder production, and selected lots now reach single-origin chocolate markets.
Country
Papua New Guinea
Region
Autonomous Region of Bougainville
Growing region
Asia & Pacific
Coordinates
-6.20°, 155.30° (approx.)
Elevation
0-500 m
Producer
regional
Genetic groups
admixture
Traditional class
Trinitario
Also known as
Autonomous Region of Bougainville
Bean notes
Introduced hybrid material grown by smallholders; replanting since the late 2000s has used cocoa-pod-borer-tolerant clones.
Harvest season
harvest spread across the year with seasonal peaks
Fermentation
Smallholder box fermentation, with quality-focused processing developed through donor-supported programmes.
Drying
Both wood-fired and sun-drying are used; improved solar dryers have been promoted to reduce smoke taint.
Flavour
cocoa · earthy · nutty · mild fruit
Updated
2026-05-22
Sources
World Bank, 'Papua New Guinea: Restoring the Stream of Cocoa to Bougainville' (2014)
World Vision International, 'Producing quality cocoa in Bougainville'