Gaia: Certified Organic Coffee from PNG (Releasing on May 7)

At Poets & Prose, every coffee we release carries a story—of place, of people, and of the quiet, consistent care that brings each cup to life. This May, we’re proud to introduce Gaia, a medium-dark roast from Papua New Guinea that reflects both the richness of the land and the hands that tend it.

From the Highlands of Papua New Guinea

Gaia comes to us from the Timuza Coffee Cooperative, a collective of over 200 smallholder farmers from the Kamano tribal group in Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands Province, near the town of Kainantu. Nestled in the surrounding hamlets of Namura and nearby villages, these farms sit at elevations between 1,420 and 1,600 meters, where rich volcanic soils—ranging from black to reddish-brown loam—create ideal conditions for slow, complex coffee development.

In 2016, the cooperative earned national recognition by placing first in Papua New Guinea’s National Coffee Cupping Competition, a milestone that helped spotlight the exceptional quality emerging from this region. It was a defining moment that affirmed what many already knew locally—that carefully cultivated, smallholder-grown coffee from these highlands could stand among the best in the country.

Most farmers in the cooperative tend small plots averaging 1.4 hectares per family, often integrated with subsistence food gardens growing staples such as sweet potato, taro, and cassava. Coffee here is not grown in isolation—it is part of daily life, shaped by both tradition and necessity.

The cooperative predominantly cultivates Arusha, Mundo Novo, and Typica varieties, grown under natural shade from casuarina and albizia trees. Harvesting is done selectively by hand, followed by careful wet processing, fermentation, washing, and sun-drying—methods that preserve clarity and enhance sweetness in the final cup.

Beyond farming, Timuza has invested deeply in community development. Through local and international partnerships, farmers have received training in financial management, coffee husbandry, gender equality, and post-harvest processing standards. These efforts continue to strengthen both quality and opportunity across the cooperative, building resilience from the ground up.

In the Cup

Gaia is a coffee that feels both vibrant and grounding. You’ll find notes of apricot, ripe banana, and molasses, layered into a cup that is smooth, balanced, and quietly complex.

It’s the kind of coffee that adapts beautifully to how you brew it—bright and expressive as a pour-over, rounded and rich as an espresso, or comforting and familiar as a daily drip.

Why “Gaia”

We chose the name Gaia with intention.

In Greek mythology, Gaia is the personification of the Earth—the source from which all life emerges. She represents nourishment, balance, and an enduring connection between land and living things.

This coffee embodies that spirit.

From the fertile soils of Papua New Guinea to the smallholder farmers who cultivate their land with care, Gaia is a reminder that great coffee begins long before roasting. It begins with the earth itself—with patience, stewardship, and a deep respect for what the land can offer.

Releasing Gaia in May, a month that often celebrates motherhood, felt especially fitting. Not in a literal sense, but in the way care, resilience, and quiet strength show up—in the land, in farming communities, and in the hands that nurture each harvest.

A Cup with Intention

As always, our goal is to bring you coffee that is not only exceptional in flavour, but meaningful in its journey. Gaia reflects that balance—between brightness and depth, between origin and craft, between people and place.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing it to life.