Company Profile

2014

1. Who Are We?Zim Earthworm Farms (Pvt) Ltd. (ZEF) is a professional private sector firm focusing on unlock-ing the poverty penalty and economic renewal of Zimbabwe through the deployment of earth-worm technology in conversion of organic waste into a rich biofertilizer, sewage waste water treatment, animal feeds and reclamation of contaminated soils. Zim Earthworm Farms was founded by Dr. Ephrem Whingwiri in 2012. Dr. Whingwiri’s experience over 25 years encom-passes research focusing on smallholder agriculture, development work under the U.S.A. based WK Kellogg Foundation in Southern African countries, the establishment of the NEPAD Pan African Cassava Initiative, the formation of various agriculture commodity associations in Southern Africa for accessing markets and the promotion of renewable energy in particular the biogas digester technology. Key to ZEF’s thrust is the restoration of agricultural ecological balance through returning to farms the rich biofertilizer produced from organic waste using earthworms.

Zim Earthworm Farms has a Board chaired by Prof. M. Rukuni and five additional members. The company is endowed with a team of highly trained professionals with many years of experience in African agriculture, enterprise, markets, and well exposed to various models of development.

2. Background and RationaleAgricultural productivity in Zimbabwe significantly declined over the last 14 years due to a cocktail of reasons. One of the reasons is that soils have become less fertile because they have lost organic matter resulting in loss of soil structure and ability to hold water leading to enhanced run-off and loss of top soil. The low productivity of soils has helped to perpetuate poverty in rural areas.

There is limited organic matter available in rural areas since most of their surplus produce is sold in urban areas. However, in urban areas, huge quantities of organic waste exist as vege-tables and fruits waste, wastewater, aquatic weeds such as hydrocleys spp and hyacinth, animal waste from abattoirs, sawdust, household and industrial waste. This has resulted in agricultural ecological imbalance in rural and/or farming areas. What is produced on farms is consumed in both rural and urban areas but is not taken back to the farm soils. It goes to toilets, dams, rivers and landfills. In some cases, it is incinerated. There is, therefore, a des-perate need to restore Zimbabwe’s agricultural ecological balance.

The huge quantities of organic vegetable waste in urban areas results in city / town authorities struggling to manage the waste and also increase costs of running the cities / towns. It is imperative to find cost effective and profitable ways of disposing the vegetable waste.

Furthermore, water crisis and scarcity in Zimbabwe remain a major problem especially to urban areas. Zimbabwe’s urban centres face problems of treating water, waste water and sewage largely because the systems used are costly and require high amounts of energy. Use of conventional anaerobic sewage plants produces harmful greenhouse gases. Therefore, alternative methods of treating sewage water and solids need to be developed in order to reduce production of greenhouse gases and mitigate impact on climate change.

The high prices of chemical fertilizers have excluded many farmers, especially the smallholder farmers, from accessing the fertilizers. In addition, chemical fertilizer usage in urban agricul-ture has resulted in increased water treatment costs as the chemicals leach and are washed off into water dams and lakes that supply water to urban centres. It is imperative that a viable cheap alternative to chemical fertilizers is developed and made available to farmers.

3. VisionA top Zimbabwean agribusiness firm making a marked contribution to the renewal of Zimba-bwean Agriculture, a clean environment that is sustainable, viable, prosperous underpinned by broad-based ownership of resources, commercial oriented production and making significant contribution to the generation of wealth for the farmers and the rural communities through employment creation, achieving higher productivity per unit area. Zim Earthworm Farms (Pvt) Ltd. (ZEF) started a project at Eye Court dam Hatfield (Appendix 1 &2) whose vision is that of restoring agricultural ecological balance and a clean environment through returning to farms a rich low cost biofertilizer which would increase agricultural productivity; reduce farm production costs and create many jobs.

4. MissionZim Earthworm Farms shall produce a rich biofertiliser (organic fertiliser), called Nutrich Vermi Biofertilizer, using earthworms. The use of earthworm to compost organic waste (Appendix 3) produces a high quality, cheap biofertilizer while cleaning the environment in the process. Our operations are anchored on sustainable earthworm breeding to satisfy ZEF’s needs in vermo-composting and vermifiltration, a low cost, low energy approach of treating water which can then be used for agricultural purposes and in toilets as recycled water.Our success will be built upon constant research and development of innovative ideas for uplifting agricultural productivity, cleaning of environment and welfare of rural and urban com-munities.

5. ValuesDelivering dignity, empowerment, choice, wealth creation and ownership of viable and sustain-able enterprises by Zimbabwean farmers.

6. Product / ServicesZEF’s product portfolio is:

i. Nutrich Vermi Biofertiliser – for plant growth / soil enrichment.ii. Nutrich Acidic Soils Cure – 100% organic matter as replacement of lime.iii. Nutrich Foliar Vermi Biofertilizer – a liquid fertilizer, rich in soil microbes,nutrients and plant growth hormones.iv. Dried Worms – for preparation of animal feed, e.g. poultry.v. Worms – for fishing and vermicomposting, etc.vi. Vermifiltration kits and services – for local authorities’ sewage waste watertreatment, industrial and agricultural enterprises (abattoirs, piggery, dairy, etc.)waste management; sewage waste water management.vii. Contaminated soils reclamation.

7. Organization structure and key personnel

Professor MANDIVAMBA RUKUNI (Chairman of Board)

Founder and Executive Chairman of the Mandi Rukuni Seminar Group which includes the IBS Consulting, Wisdom Afrika Leadership Academy (WALA), also Founder and Trustee of the Barefoot Education Trust for Afrika (BEAT). Worked with the group since February 2009

B O A R D

Prof. M. RUKUNI (Chairman of Board)Hon. Eng. T. MutezoMr. N. MarisaDr. E. Whingwiri Mr. D.K. Chiinze

C E O

F I N A N C E & A D M I N P R O D U C T I O N M A R K E T I N G B U S I N E S S D E V T .

Dr. E. Whingwiri

D. K. Chiinze A. G. Marongere P. Mangachena N. MarisaN. Marisa

when the World Bank recalled him from Diaspora to support early efforts by the Zimbabwe Government of National Unity (GNU), especially facilitating Cabinet retreats in preparing the GNU 100 day plan.

He is also Adjunct Professor at National University of Science and Technology as founder and lead professor for the work-based Ph D on African Leadership Development; also teaches part- time at University of Zimbabwe on agricultural economics.

Prior to 2009 was for 11 years with the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and served as Director for Africa Programs. Before Kellogg was for 20 years at University of Zimbabwe as Professor of Agricultural Economics and also served as Dean of Agriculture. For 7 years.

He has served on several international boards including CIAT, IFPRI and FAO. And he also served on several international program and management reviews including ISNAR, INIBAP, WARDA (Chair), ARC of South Africa (Chair). Has also served on a number of Zimbabwean boards: Triangle Ltd; Hunyani; Zimsun Hotels; Blue Ribbon Industries; GMB; ARDA; ARC; Mandel etc. Current directorships include Comarton; Kingdom Financial Holdings; and ZIMNAT Life.

Professor Rukuni currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Zimbabwe Studies:

Science, Technology and Health; Zimbabwe Agricultural journal; and Zimbabwe Journal of

Agricultural Research. Previously served on editorial boards of World Development; and Irrigation and Drainage Journal.

Some distinguished honors and awards include: Honorary Doctoral Degree (2008) bestowed by Dimona, Israel; Citation from State of Michigan Congress 2008; Chairman, Commission of Inquiry into Land Tenure Systems of Zimbabwe, 1993 – 1994; Visiting Professor, Michigan State University 1988/9 and 1995/6. Nominee, 1990 and 1992 Africa Prize for Leadership in the Sustainable End of Hunger.

Has published 12 academic books and more than 100 research articles. Of recent, however, he has invested more time in the area of cultural revival for Africa’s social and economic renewal and has 2 new books published by Penguin Books: ‘Being Afrikan’ and ‘Leading

Afrika’ and 2 published by WALA Publishing ‘7 Laws of Love’ and ‘Afrikan Pathways to Per-

sonal Development’.

Dr. Ephrem E. Whingwiri (CEO, Board Member)

Ephrem is a result orientated professional with more than 28 years work experience after doctoral studies at the University of Western Australia. His experience has largely been on smallholder agriculture (research and development) and business in agricultural food process-ing, consultancy particularly on linking farmers to markets, renewable energy and recently the conversion of organic waste to biofertilizer using earthworms. This experience has prepared him for assignments in agriculture development, agribusiness, food security and poverty reduction. He provided leadership in several projects / programmes some of which have had positive and sustainable impact on smallholder farmers’ lives. He founded and developed the Zimbabwe Farmers Development Trust in 1993 which to this day provides support to beekeep-ers through its honey processing factories that he set up. He has developed knowledge and experience in renewable energy technologies (ethanol based, solar based and biogas digest-er) He also founded Payplak Investment in 2007 a renewable energy company which was later rebranded to A & B Evolving Energies. He is the brains behind ZEF

project/business venture on manufacturing of biofertilizer from organic waste using vermi (earthworm technology). He is currently CEO of ZEF.

Atania G. Marongere (Production Manager)

Atania holds a BSc. (Mathematics and Botany) degree and an Institute of Industrial Managers diploma. He has a wealth of experience, spanning over 34 years, in education, production management and human resources management. Atania’s career started in 1979 as a mathe-matics and science teacher and later appointed mathematics lecturer at Belvedere Teachers’ College. In 1989 he was appointed Personnel Manager at Chibuku Breweries. He was promot-ed to Brewery Manager in 1995 at Chibuku’s Masvingo Brewery. Atania moved to Delta Bever-ages, the holding company of Chibuku Brewery, as Regional Human Resources Executive in 2001. In 2005 he was moved to the head office as Human Resource Executive, a position he held until 2009 when he left Delta Beverages to pursue personal business interests. Atania is ZEF’s Production Executive.

Nesbert Marisa (Business Development Manager, Board Member)

Nesbert holds a BSc (Chemistry and Biochemistry) and a post grad Diploma in Management (MDP). His career started in 1980 as a Quality Assurance Manager at Unilever for five years before moving to Larfarge Cement as a Technical Manager. He spent eight years as Produc-tion Executive – Sugar & Ethanol at Triangle Sugar Ltd. He held various positions within the Art Corporation group that included being General Manager, Managing Director and Technical Director. He was Managing Director for Kibo Match Group in Tanzania. He is a Pastor of Faith Ministry. He is currently the Business Development Manager of ZEF.

Prayers S. Mangachena (Marketing & Sales Manager)

Prayers has more than 18 years work experience of which eight years are in marketing and sales. He holds a Masters degree in Strategic Management and Corporate Governance. He started his career at Lyons Zimbabwe as Frozen Foods Manager in 1996. He moved to Go Beer as Divisional Operations Manager in 1999 and held an Assistant Marketing Manager position at Electro Medics. He joined AMS Beverages in 2009 as its first Marketing and Sales Manager with the responsibility of introducing AMS Beverages’ new products into the market, thus developing a market for the products. He is currently the Marketing and Sales Executive of ZEF.

David Chiinze (Finance & Admin Manager)

David holds a B.Com. degree in Accounting. After completing his undergraduate studies in 1994, he joined a plastic manufacturing company as Accounting Assistant before moving to Mobil Oil, a multinational oil company in 1995. In this company he held various positions with southern Africa regional responsibilities within the Finance department, moving on to the position of Accounting & Finance Manager. In 2001 he was seconded to the company’s Malawi affiliate. He joined an agribusiness consulting firm in 2005 as a Financial Consultant, and in 2006 was appointed C.O.O. of Total Transformation Agribusiness consulting firm in South Africa. He is currently the Finance & Admin Executive of ZEF.

Appendix 1Hydrocleys at Eye Court Dam

Appendix 2Composting Windrows of Aquatic Weed (Hydrocleys spp)

Appendix 3Composting Heaps of Vegetable Waste from Mbare Musika

Appendix 4Biofertilizer / Vermicompost