Kremuno Onnise is from Avani Village in the Henganofi District of Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, where coffee farming forms the backbone of rural livelihoods. This upbringing has given him first-hand insight into the challenges facing smallholder farmers, including low productivity, limited access to technical knowledge, and the growing impacts of climate change on agricultural systems.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the University of Goroka – Sepik Campus, where he developed a strong foundation in crop production, soil management, and sustainable farming practices. He is currently conducting research on coffee agroforestry systems under the EU-FCCB Scholarship Programme, building his skills through active fieldwork, data collection, and literature review.

His research, “Studies on Coffee in Papua New Guinea: Climate Change Mitigation through Carbon Sequestration by Coffee – Baseline Analysis of Biomass and Carbon in Above-Ground and Below-Ground Compartments of Selected Arabica Cultivars and Soils at Selected Sites in Eastern Highlands Province,” explores the capacity of coffee plants to absorb and store carbon in both biomass and soil. The study addresses a critical research gap in Papua New Guinea, where localized carbon estimation models for coffee systems remain scarce. Kremuno’s work combines environmental sustainability objectives with practical socio-economic outcomes, including the potential for rural coffee farmers to access carbon credit opportunities.