WHY WE EXIST
Imagine a town so rich in fish that survival required only one thing: washing your dishes. The elders always said, “Just wash your dishes, fish will always be there.” That town was Samfya. Its name literally means “to wash.” Today, Samfya tells a different story. A story of depleted fish stocks in Lake Bangweulu due to overdependence and unsustainable fishing, simply because abundance was mistaken for infinity. What was once abundance is now scarcity, resulting in widespread poverty, nutritional deficiencies, and the loss of Samfya’s traditional fish economy.
With fishing no longer viable, the Samfya community turned to agriculture, but remains trapped in subsistence farming due to the high cost of animal feed for the livestock farmers and chemical fertiliser for the crop farmers, the two farming inputs that account for the largest share of farming expenses and make it nearly impossible for farmers to scale production or transition to commercial farming. At the same time, prolonged reliance on chemical fertilisers and unsustainable farming methods has contributed to soil degradation, declining fertility, and loss of biodiversity, further threatening long-term food security. The farmers’ limited access to local value chains, affordable inputs, and practical training in climate-smart agriculture has perpetuated reliance on traditional, low-yield methods, locking the Samfya community into a cycle of low income and poverty. Farmers in this region also lack a role model, especially in commercial livestock farming and a centralised training facility to disseminate scalable, regenerative farming practices. This is where Kalapula Agribusiness Ventures comes in.
OUR PURPOSE: RECYCLING FARM WASTE INTO FARM RESOURCES
We exist to solve the input trap by localising the production of animal feed and organic fertiliser, the two inputs that take up most farming expenses and keep farmers stuck in low-input, low-output production. By leading through demonstration, KAbV serves as a commercial role model and proof of concept for small-scale farmers. Our goal is to show that with the right systems, farmers can reduce costs, increase yields, and transition from subsistence to sustainable commercial farming, unlocking economic opportunity while restoring the environment.
Our purpose is to reduce production costs for farmers while restoring soil health and strengthening local value chains. So we are building an integrated, circular farming system where piggery, fish farming, and crop production serve as the engine for affordable input manufacturing. Maize grown on our farm forms the base of our feed formulations. Fish by-products such as crumbs, bones, and mortalities are processed into high-protein feed ingredients. Pig and poultry waste, maize stalks and leaves, and other crop residues such as beans, soybeans, and groundnuts are upcycled into nutrient-rich organic fertiliser.
Through this system, we aim to produce affordable feed for pigs, fish, and other livestock, supplying surplus to local farmers at affordable prices. At the same time, we will manufacture organic fertiliser to reduce dependence on costly chemical inputs while regenerating soil health and improving long-term productivity.
OUR VISION
To become a leading model of sustainable agribusiness in Samfya and Zambia at large, transforming communities through food security, environmental regeneration, and shared prosperity.
At Kalapula Agribusiness Ventures (KAbV), we envision a future where profit and purpose are inseparable. As a pioneering for-profit social enterprise, we are committed to demonstrating that the most effective and sustainable way to eradicate poverty is by restoring the natural systems that sustain us while empowering the communities that depend on them. Our vision is anchored in a Triple Bottom Line framework: People, Planet, and Profit, ensuring that our commercial success directly drives environmental restoration, economic inclusion, and community upliftment in Samfya District.
We aspire to lead by example through practical demonstration, serving as a proof of concept that small-scale farmers can learn from and replicate. By showcasing an integrated, circular farming model that is commercially viable, environmentally regenerative, and socially inclusive, we aim to inspire a broader transition from subsistence agriculture to resilient, market-oriented farming systems across Zambia.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to reduce poverty and address economic inequality in rural communities by tackling one of the greatest barriers facing small-scale farmers, which are the high cost of animal feed and chemical fertiliser, which account for the largest share of agricultural production expenses. We aim to lower production costs and maximise resource efficiency by turning agricultural waste into productive inputs, strengthening local value chains, and demonstrating a practical, replicable integrated farming model. Through this approach, we aim to empower farmers to transition from subsistence to resilient, market-oriented commercial agriculture, restore soil fertility, and build long-term economic and environmental sustainability.
OUR IMPACT
While KAbV operates a profitable circular production system, our mission is fundamentally rooted in the socio-economic development of Samfya. We believe that by creating a Shared Value model, our commercial success becomes the engine that drives community transformation.
🌍 Planet: Environmental Stewardship
Our system is designed to work with nature, not against it, through a closed-loop Integrated Circular and regenerative Economy.
- Zero-Waste Operations: Through a closed-loop, circular farming system that links piggery, fishery, and crop production, we convert all organic waste into valuable inputs, reducing environmental pollution, cutting reliance on synthetic inputs, and restoring soil, water, and ecosystem health while lowering production costs.
- Soil Regeneration: We manufacture and promote the use of affordable bio-fertilisers made from pig manure, replacing synthetic chemicals and restoring the long-term health of the soil.
- Relieving Pressure on Lake Bangweulu: Our intensive, land-based aquaculture offers a sustainable alternative to wild fishing, allowing the lake’s natural ecosystems to recover.
👥 People: Empowering the Community
We are committed to turning subsistence farming into sustainable entrepreneurship.
- Building a Centre of Excellence: Our facility will serve as a training hub, providing local farmers, youth, and women with crucial skills in integrated piggery, aquaculture, and regenerative agriculture.
- Farmer Outgrower Scheme: This is designed to provide a reliable market for maize and Azolla from local farmers through the outgrower scheme, integrating smallholders into a structured, professional value chain, improving income stability and market access.
- Community Starter Pack Program: This program is structured to empower vulnerable, women-led households through a “pass-on” model that combines starter packs of piglets and fingerlings with hands-on training, strengthening household livelihoods and building long-term farming capacity within the community.
- Nutritional Security: By restoring Samfya’s heritage as a fishing hub, we ensure a stable, affordable supply of animal protein for local families
📈 Profit: Economic Benefits for Farmers
We prove that eco-friendly farming is more profitable than conventional methods.
- Job Creation & Inclusion: Our integrated circular farming system creates local employment opportunities while intentionally empowering women, youth, and persons with disabilities through skills development and participation across the value chain.
- Production Cost Reductions: By converting waste into affordable feed and bio-fertilisers and applying regenerative agriculture practices, we significantly lower production costs that often trap smallholder farmers in poverty.
- Increased Farmer Revenue & Market Access: As farmers transition from subsistence to commercial production, they benefit from higher yields, better value chain integration, and improved access to structured markets.
- Multiple Income Streams: Our integrated pig–fish–crop system enables diversified revenue streams, strengthening economic resilience against market shocks.
- Reinvesting in the Future: Through our Social Charter, we commit to reinvesting a portion of annual net profits into community empowerment programs, ensuring long-term and self-sustaining impact.
Showreel
AWARDS
Virtual Internship Industrial Project Client Badge
