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Date released
11 July 2025

As Papua New Guinea (PNG) celebrates 50 years of independence this year, the emerging galip nut industry brings together many of the country’s aspirations for improved livelihoods, increased agricultural production and new markets that celebrate indigenous foods. 

ACIAR has supported research for a wide range of food and forestry crops in PNG, as well as fisheries and livestock, often investing over many years. Projects have been designed to overcome technical challenges such as disease and low yields, while improving the skills and capacity of smallholder farmers. 

Efforts have focused on traditional crops such as sweetpotato, coconut and taro, and export crops such as palm oil, coffee and cocoa. However, the galip nut investment has helped create a whole new industry. 

A woman and child smiling and holding galip nuts
A woman and her child harvest fallen galip nuts from her family’s tree. Photo: Conor Ashleigh

A new industry emerges 

For almost 20 years Professor Helen Wallace at the Queensland University of Technology has led ACIAR-supported research into the canarium tree (Canarium indicum) and the galip nut it produces. For her, one of the most exciting aspects of this work has been witnessing the emergence of a whole new industry. 

‘Many of the projects ACIAR supports focus on improving production and enhancing markets for existing products, such as sweetpotato, cocoa and coffee,’ explained Professor Wallace. 

However, our research has underpinned the country’s efforts to take a low-value, wild-harvested nut that is mostly consumed in local communities, and create an indigenous food product for national and international markets.’

The first ACIAR-supported galip project Professor Wallace worked on was a scoping study in 2006 to evaluate the potential of the nut. Other small projects established how to process the nuts and addressed some technical issues. 

‘But we hadn’t done anything on the markets and commercialisation, and that’s where ACIAR started to invest in a major project in 2016, focused on getting the product to market,’ she said. 

A group of men working on processing machines cracking nuts
NARI staff manually crack galip nuts during the pilot processing trial.
Packaged galip nuts on a table
ACIAR-supported research has helped to create a commercial galip nut product.
Outstretched hands holding galip nuts
Ripe galip nuts ready for eating or processing. Photo: Conor Ashleigh

Game-changing commercial trial 

‘ACIAR funded a commercial trial to make some product and see if it would sell. That was an absolute game changer,’ said Professor Wallace. 

The trial involved operating a pilot processing plant built by the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) supported by a grant from the EU, but which had never operated commercially. The research team produced packaged nuts, which they sold into supermarkets in Port Moresby.  

‘There were a lot of doubters who thought the nuts would be too expensive, and that people would rather buy cheap imported nuts,’ said Professor Wallace. 

‘But once we had this product of a locally grown indigenous food that people in PNG knew and understood, they loved it. We sold out quickly and couldn’t keep up with demand. People were so proud to see their own food on the supermarket shelves.’ 

She noted that this was part of a broader changing food landscape across the Pacific region, building national pride in indigenous foods. 

Growing livelihoods for women 

Galip nuts are part of PNG’s traditional food culture, particularly for women. In many areas, women have selected from the best-producing canarium trees in the rainforest and planted young trees closer to home, often along village boundaries. The trees can live for hundreds of years, and ownership is passed down from mother to daughter.  

Mrs Felicitas Wilomo, from Kabaira village in East New Britain Province, said galip nuts were an important cash crop for her. A local galip industry means that instead of just eating the galip nuts at home, or selling them at local markets, she can deliver bags of galip nuts to a local processor and get paid for them immediately.  

‘It’s a very fast cash crop. If you need something, just go pick galip, put it in bags and sell it,’ Mrs Wilomo said. ‘I buy food for the family, clothing, pay school fees and our offerings to the church. Sometimes, the leftover money I put in the bank for later use.’ 

Woman sitting at a table in front of a computer and a galip nut banner
Ms Dorothy Luana is principal owner of Devine Management Services (DMS) Limited, which buys galip nuts directly from about 500 households.

Ms Dorothy Luana is principal owner of Devine Management Services (DMS) Limited, which buys galip nuts directly from about 500 households like Mrs Wilomo’s. 

‘Most of our suppliers are women, who are at the lowest end of the village hierarchy,’ said Ms Luana. ‘The poorest of the poor. Galip is a good income for them.’  

Most households that supply DMS have 1 to 5 trees and can earn 100 kina per tree each year. With 5 trees, 500 kina makes a significant contribution from relatively little effort for those in rural communities where the living income is estimated at 1,752 kina a month. 

DMS buys nuts that have been shelled in the village. It peels, roasts and packages them for domestic markets. It also makes galip nut cakes and cookies, and it is developing a nut butter. 

Man holding a container of galip nuts
James Robinson, head chef at the Port Terrace Restaurant & Bar in Port Moresby, features galip nuts as a substitute for imported nuts.

Local food a healthy option 

Ms Luana said nutritional information for galip nuts has been developed through ACIAR-supported research, and this is now included on the company’s packaging to assist with marketing. 

Dr John Moxon, Managing Director of galip nut processor Frangipani Foods, said the nutritional profile of galip was a key drawcard for him. 

‘It’s extremely different from all the other nuts,’ said Dr Moxon. ‘It’s a softer nut and it’s got a whole range of omega fatty acids in it. It has more magnesium than any other nut. It’s got one of the lowest sodium contents of any nut. It’s full of antioxidants and it’s also used traditionally to accelerate the healing of burns, cuts and bruises.’ 

In 2022, Frangipani Foods exhibited the company’s roasted galip products at the SIAL Paris international food show, the largest food show in the world. This led the company to pursue international distribution to Australia, the EU, UK and USA. 

With a reliable supply of the galip nuts now available from processors, PNG chefs are also beginning to incorporate it into their menus. 

The head chef at the Port Terrace Restaurant & Bar in Port Moresby, James Robinson, features galip nuts as a substitute for imported nuts. 

‘We use them in pestos, instead of pine nuts, and it really gives us a point of differentiation. We do a pancake stack that’s banana and galip nut. Our salmon dish we do with a crust of galip nut as well, and we get quite a bit of positive feedback,’ said Mr Robinson. 

‘We see it as a win for everybody. It’s good for Papua New Guineans to be using a local product and it’s a lot fresher.’ 

Galip nuts on a tray
Galip nuts ready to eat. Photo: Helen Wallace

Building local expertise 

Strategic Planning Adviser at NARI Dr Birte Nass-Komolong said galip nut had been identified as a potential crop that could be developed for PNG before ACIAR involvement began. 

‘But I think only with the ACIAR investment and the commitment over such a long period of time could we have come to where we are now. We have some high-value products in supermarkets, and we have generated so much knowledge about galip nuts and processing.’ 

Dr Nass-Komolong said few development initiatives or grants come with dedicated funding for research, when a research component was often needed for successful development. 

‘ACIAR is a mainstay for us, in that respect,’ she said. ‘Part of it is also the capacity building it provides for our staff. I think this is probably a first for NARI, taking a new product through to commercialisation. And the research we’ve done in partnership with ACIAR provides lessons we can apply to other indigenous crops.’ 

ACIAR support of initiatives in PNG is part of the ongoing close relationship Australia has maintained with PNG since its independence in September 1975. As Australia’s nearest neighbour, with a shared geography and history, a stable and prosperous Papua New Guinea is in Australia’s interest. 

ACIAR Projects: ‘Developing markets and products for the Papua New Guinea Canarium nut industry’ (FST/2010/013); ‘Enhancing private sector-led development of the Canarium nut industry in Papua New Guinea’ (FST/2014/099); ‘Enhancing private sector-led development of the canarium industry in Papua New Guinea (Phase 2)’ (FST/2017/038) 

Agri-enterprise
Agroforestry
Gender equality
Innovation
Livelihoods
Small business
Smallholders
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