22 April 2026: University of Canberra researchers have received a significant investment of $3.5 million from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), to work with communities in Western Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG), to strengthen the region’s food security.
In Western Province, localised economies are based around agriculture, with farming systems built on Indigenous knowledge supporting around 85 per cent of the rural population. But environmental trauma from mining and climate change has eroded these critical food systems, leaving entire villages vulnerable to food insecurity.
The five-year project, titled Sago+, will be led by Dr Ann Hill, from the University’s Faculty of Education; her expertise lies in food systems and community food economies.
Dr Hill has previously helmed major community development projects in Australia and Southeast Asia, where scientific research combined with traditional knowledge has led to improved outcomes.
“Traditional food systems often incorporate inherently climate-resilient and regenerative practices such as agroforestry, crop rotation and reduced waste,” Dr Hill said.
“This research aims to make a unique scientific contribution by investigating traditional Indigenous food production practices that have developed over thousands of years in challenging environments.”
The project involves collaborators in ACIAR, the PNG University of Technology and the PNG National Research Institute. It will be co-designed with local communities and will employ community researchers to contribute to data and knowledge gathering.
Dr Hill highlighted the strength of this approach in creating programs with genuine, lasting impact.
“Traditional knowledge is placed on par with technical and scientific expertise, and community members are considered experts, equal partners, and leaders,” Dr Hill said.
“Our shared goal is that through the co-creation of this program, communities in the Western Province will be partners in the development of food and agriculture programs, leading to sustainable implementation for a program that stands the test of time.”
University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor, the Honourable Bill Shorten, highlighted the value of the collaborative research partnership, which joins the University’s suite of initiatives addressing global concerns, including climate change adaptation, food security, international development and reducing inequalities.
“Australia has a responsibility to assist our Pacific neighbours to mitigate the impact of climate change. This is a project that will deliver not only food security in times of hardship, but economic resilience,” Mr Shorten said.
“I visited PNG in my role as opposition leader and the message to Australia, loud and clear, was that climate change is a first order issue for our pacific neighbours. The University of Canberra will continue to contribute to issues of national significance for our regional partners.”
Previous research projects from the University of Canberra have centred around empowering family farm systems in PNG, acknowledging the role that entire families play in the farming ecosystem.
