Travel a little differently

My organic certification adventure in Papua New Guinea

In this short excerpt from the lives of the virblatt founders, I want to take you to Papua New Guinea—a country full of untouched nature, exotic cultures, and fascinating traditions.

My journey took me deep into the dense rainforests and to the most remote villages of this diverse island nation to verify the organic certification of local coffee producers and processors. Did you know that 839 different languages and dialects are spoken here?

In the mountain villages, I met locals whose lives are closely intertwined with nature. Their deep-rooted traditions and knowledge of the local flora and fauna deeply impressed me. The villagers welcomed me with a warmth that is rarely found in today’s hectic modern world. They shared their stories, customs, and daily lives with me and showed me how they have lived and worked in harmony with their surroundings for generations.

Coffee is the only Ca$$crop the farmers have here (apart from a little grass). It is grown 100% in casuarina forests in the highlands. The forests are planted so the coffee plants have the necessary shade. At the same time, the forests provide an excellent microclimate and prevent soil erosion and landslides. Now that’s a win-win!

The person who summed it up most beautifully was my mom. So here’s a text from her, along with a few more pictures:

"The adults only came up to his shoulders. Some of the children had never seen a white person before and kept touching his skin and noisily running after him. 

During their lunch break, they shared the baked sweet potatoes and taro in the Bamboo. They carried him on their backs across the mountain stream so he didn’t have to take off his shoes. They don’t wear shoes at all. They patted him on the shoulders and were amazed that he was able to keep up in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Small people with big hearts…"

Just like you, Mom. Thanks & love you