Partnership discourse is making advances in development dialogue as a means to improve the livelihoods of the agrarian populace. In Papua New Guinea, productive partnerships flourished during the early growth of the coffee industry. After the demise of plantations and rural mills in the lead up to political independence, the support services that plantations used to provide to smallholders, including centralised processing, have ceased as have price incentives for quality. Consequently, smallholders began to produce coffee of inconsistent quality and their productivity has also declined. However, coffee value chain partnerships have the potential to reverse the present decline of coffee production and increase the productivity of coffee farmers and address the inconsistency and the supply of low-grade coffee. Using two case studies of farmer cooperatives, we investigate collective action and also assess partnerships among present value chain actors. The case studies were supported with interviews of value chain actors to gain further insights into partnerships with farmer groups. This paper illustrates that through collective action and partnerships, coffee farmers can improve coffee production and quality, enhance governance systems in grower groups, attract community development services and diversify into other entrepreneurial activities.

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Apiculture in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is under significant pressure from emerging parasitic mites, Varroa jacobsoni and Tropilaelaps mercedesae.While numerous mite control products exist, beekeepers in Papua New Guinea have limited access and resources for these products and their effectiveness under local conditions is untested. Here we determined the effectiveness of two brood manipulation strategies -queen caging and queen removal -for managing V. jacobsoni and T. mercedesae in comparison to the chemical miticide Bayvarol®. Our results found Bayvarol® was the most effective control strategy for V. jacobsoni, maintaining high efficacy (>90%) over four months with significantly reduced mean numbers of V. jacobsoni compared to untreated control hives. In contrast, mean numbers of T. mercedesae were significantly reduced by the brood manipulation strategies over two months, but not by Bayvarol® compared to the controls. These results highlight that a combination of different strategies is likely needed to effectively manage both mite pests in PNG. We discuss how these strategies could be optimised and adopted to achieve better mite management for PNG beekeepers.

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27Apiculture in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is under significant 28 pressure from emerging parasitic mites, Varroa jacobsoni and Tropilaelaps mercedesae. 29While numerous mite control products exist, beekeepers in Papua New Guinea have 30 limited access and resources for these products and their effectiveness under local 31 conditions is untested. Here we determined the effectiveness of two brood manipulation 32 strategies -queen caging and queen removal -for managing V. jacobsoni and T. 33 mercedesae in comparison to the chemical miticide Bayvarol®. Our results found 34Bayvarol® was the most effective control strategy for V. jacobsoni, maintaining high 35 efficacy (>90%) over four months with significantly reduced mean numbers of V. 36 jacobsoni compared to untreated control hives. In contrast, mean numbers of T. 37 mercedesae were significantly reduced by the brood manipulation strategies over two 38 months, but not by Bayvarol® compared to the controls. These results highlight that a 39 combination of different strategies is likely needed to effectively manage both mite 40 pests in PNG. We discuss how these strategies could be optimised and adopted to 41 achieve better mite management for PNG beekeepers. 42 43 Keywords: Apis mellifera, honey bee, biotechnical control, beekeeping, mites, queen 44 manipulation 45 46 47 48