Environment and Food Production in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

The physical environment plays a critical role in determining both where crops can be grown and how productive they are. The environment in which plants grow can be modified to some degree by people, for example, using drainage to reduce excessive soil moisture. Here the main physical environmental factors that influence crop growth in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are noted and their influence on crop distribution and productivity is reviewed. This research builds on the pioneering work of Harold Brookfield (1964) on the ecology of human settlement in New Guinea over half a century ago. The focus here is on