Papua New Guinea has no single national cuisine or uniform food supply. More than 80% of the population has livelihoods connected to subsistence agriculture, and more than 85% lives in rural areas. Families and clans commonly cultivate small plots on customary land, which covers about 97% of the country's land area. Households use their harvest for food and sell part of it through markets or roadside stalls. Women play central roles in gardening, livestock care and marketing, while men often influence household decisions. Local production supplies much of the staple food, but dependence on imported and processed foods is increasing. Regional conditions shape what people eat. Highlands communities commonly rely on kaukau, vegetables and pork. The Momase region, river lowlands and the Sepik area use more sago, taro, bananas and fish. Coastal and island communities depend more on seafood, coconut, taro, yams and bananas. Papua and Gulf communities also depend strongly on coastal and river resources. Terrain, roads, weather and transport can change availability significantly between provinces and communities. A mumu is an earth-oven and hot-stone cooking method that uses leaves, local tubers, vegetables, meat or fish and steam or slow cooking. It is used for household and communal meals as well as feasts. Other common methods include boiling, roasting, frying and drying. Urban centres such as Port Moresby offer restaurants, hotels, cafés, markets and street food, including Asian, Chinese, Thai and other international dishes. Villages and households rely more on shared meals and hospitality. Food access is not the same as dietary quality. Diets are often centred on starchy staples, while regular access to vegetables, protein and micronutrient-rich foods varies. In 2022, the available national estimates recorded child stunting at 51% and overweight at 16%; the oldest available national estimate recorded wasting at 14%. The National Department of Health, UNICEF and partners support community-, health-facility- and school-based nutrition programmes. The Government and UNICEF School Nutrition Program has been scaling since 2024, but coverage depends on province, distance, staff and supplies. Food businesses operate under the Food Sanitation Act 1991 and Food Sanitation Regulation 2007. The Food Sanitation Council, food inspectors and local medical authorities oversee sanitation, premises, storage and handling. Food businesses need the licences required for their activities. Packaged food generally carries English information about origin, vendor, manufacturer or importer, quantity and date. Imports also involve quarantine and biosecurity controls through the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority and Customs. Fish and fishery products receive additional oversight from the National Fisheries Authority, including traceability and testing. The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission can investigate unsafe products and impose an interim ban of up to 18 months or a permanent ban. Food safety policy and import standard work in 2025 formed part of wider legal modernization. The currency is the kina, written K. Papua New Guinea has no reliable national food price list because costs vary by city or province, season, harvest, transport, refrigeration, import dependence and security conditions. Household production is often the least expensive way to obtain food, while market and shop purchases require cash. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 6.3% year on year in the first quarter of 2025, and rice prices rose about 10% between December 2023 and December 2024. In the National Capital District, Erima Wildlife Market and Gerehu Market are designated fresh-produce wholesale markets, but opening conditions and access are not nationally standardized. Drought, El Niño, floods, landslides and transport interruptions can reduce supply or raise prices quickly. The Department of Agriculture and Livestock leads agricultural and food-system policy, while the National Agricultural Research Institute supports research and value chains. The National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority handles quarantine and biosecurity. Provincial administrations, local-level governments and the National Capital District Commission apply local market and premises rules. National plans support staple diversification, smallholder value chains, climate-smart farming, market access and reduced post-harvest losses. Fisheries initiatives support coastal subsistence and income, but overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, weak cold storage, transport losses, import dependence and climate pressure remain risks.
Food in Papua New Guinea
Food in Papua New Guinea comes from household gardens, fishing, hunting, small livestock, informal markets, shops and imports. Sweet potato, called kaukau, is especially important in the Highlands; sago, taro, bananas, yams, cassava, vegetables, fish, pork and coconut have different regional roles. A mumu cooks food over hot stones under leaves, while households also boil, roast, fry and dry food. Access, prices, nutrition and food safety vary with location, season, transport, income and the balance between local produce and imported goods.
Tip
Treat food planning in Papua New Guinea as a location-and-season decision rather than relying on a fixed national menu. Use dependable local staples when available, while protecting dietary variety, safe storage and enough cash for foods that must be purchased. If you sell or serve food, confirm the required licence and local sanitation conditions before opening. Keep alternatives ready for transport, weather or supply disruptions.