• About Niugini Organics

The goals of Niugini Organics is to link ethically minded organic food consumers in Australia with small rural producers in PNG.

Niugini Organics partners with, assists and develops products with small farm producers in PNG by initiating down stream processing of raw organic produce ready for retail shelves in Australia to thereby dramatically increase economic returns to the producer.

Niugini Organics is a direct challenge to the 200 hundred year old trade model of exporting PNG small holder fram produce as an unprocessed bulk commodity for a fraction of its ultimate value - the old paradigm where the grower has been screwed to the point of poverty,

The Background

In 2005, Simon Hodge, inspired by his friend Sir Ebia Olewale, a founding father of PNG Independence, decided to launch Niugini Organics, acting on their convictions that PNG rural communities and farmers produce some of the highest quality organic raw food known to man yet very little of it available to consumers far outside the growing area let alone in any high paying, high priced export consumer market.

The second motivating force behind the launch was a passion to see the typical rural PNG farmer and remote rural producing communities go to the next level and earn a better price for thier produce by establishing a single brand with export market representation. Niugini Organics is a direct market link for export from PNG of raw organic produce - value added in situ under one brand rather than the old paradigm of selling bulk and unprocessed as a generic product to foriegn commodity traders for a fraction of its ultimate value.

The third and equally important factor behind the launch was the recognition of an emerging global trend in consumer demand for foods in their purest state, simple foods, healthy foods that have had minimal processing and are naturally preserved with no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, sweeteners, hydrogenated fats or GMOs etc. This market also seeks traceability of the foods they purchase and that are ethically and naturally grown in developing nations. Consumers now wish to see that purchasing of these products directly supports the growers local community and economy. A growing number of Australian consumers and thus retailers favour Fair Trade suppliers which support belief in fairness and sustainable trading conditions. This supports marginalised producers and communities in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency.

Thus as its core business purpose Niugini Organics marketing strategy heavily promotes the grass roots involvment of our PNG farmers and processors as direct stakeholders in the brand and to this end we will actually claim a higher status than other Fairtrade suppliers with very positive results.

The first product developed along these lines was Niugini Organic 100% Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. When the organic quality of PNG's coconuts was realised, the villagers were encouraged to harvest the nuts commercially for the first time in decades, and a small modern plant was built to extract the virgin oil without heat. After extensive lab analysis in Aus our mill was able to meet and exceed the minimum quality standards to produce an excellent raw unrefined , un bleached and un deodorised, single origin, 100% orgainic virgin coconut oil.

Fresh from the shell, the coconut meat is quickly cold-pressed and left unrefined to preserve the natural nutritive essence of the coconut This is the source of all Nuigini Organic Coconut Oil. Today, under a fair trade scheme that ensures that the villagers are paid a fair price for their coconuts, our small holder plantations have been transformed into a happier, healthier and more prosperous place.

The first ever commercial shipment of organic virgin coconut oil from PNG direct to Australian retailers was completed in December 2008. This event was celebrated with the late Sir Ebia Olewale (on behalf of the PNG farmers) officiating at a hand over ceremony to our first Austrtalian retail customer. This event was extensively covered by local TV and newspapers and generated a huge amount of geniune interest and support for the enterprise. Check out this link for more.

The Now

Niugini Organics products are now available in 500 retail sites in Australia.

Our PNG based mill and surrounding small holder plantations have now obtained organic certification from ORANIC FOOD CHAIN and we have now introduced a range of certified organic coconut oil bath soaps.

VCO - At current date we have sold over 45,000 jars of VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil) to Austalian consumers and we are only scratching the surface. Of all the brands of VCO available in Australia Niugini Organics VCO has traveled less food miles than any other - PNG is Australia's nearest neighbor! All our product is shipped refridgerated from the mill to the store.

Niugini Organics is gaining recognition as the only supplier of organic VCO in Australia that has not been obtained in bulk from a developing nation then shipped to a western country only to be repackaged and branded for retail sale. Our VCO is 100% hand finished in situ , jarred , labeled and boxed ready for retail shelves by the very people from the community of growers who grow the coconuts from which the oil comes from thus providing additional employment and direct flow on benefits that other brands cannot claim. Our customers love this fact!

Organic Coconut / Essential Oil Soaps - our seventh shipment has just landed and the entire 7000 bars along with 5000 jars VCO have been acquired by a Sydney based distributer supplying 100+ independant health food shops.

Organic Hair Cleansing System - trials in Australian hair salons are currently taking place testing four new coconut oil shampoos' with early positive customer comments. Once salon adjustments are implemented and further testing this product will be finalised by early 2011.

Raw Certified Organic Drinking Nuts - currently in development phase

Raw Organic Cocoa Nibs - currently in development phase

Raw Green Coffee beans - currently in development phase

Coconut deodorant - currently in development phase.

Coconut skin and hair food - currently in development phase.