Organic Farming with Bokashi in Zambia

At a market in Zambia, organic vegetables sit alongside bags of homemade bokashi fertilizer, each priced at about $2.50. This fertilizer, embraced by local farmers, addresses a critical need for affordable and effective agricultural practices.

In a 12-acre expanse outside of Lusaka, Kanangwa Newlove has created a flourishing farm. Shady fruit trees and trellises of tomatoes adorn her fields. Corn, pumpkins, and the leafy green blackjack grow in neat rows, alongside eleven varieties of lettuce. Newlove began by sharing her produce with colleagues and soon started supplying local supermarkets.

For many farmers, 2026 brought challenges. The Iran war disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a halt in international trade shipments, including fertilizers. This disruption caused a global spike in prices, affecting smallholder farmers across Africa. Newlove, however, remained unaffected by these price surges due to her reliance on bokashi, a homemade compost.

A Solution from Ancient Asia

Rooted in traditional Korean agriculture and popularized in Japan, bokashi is straightforward to produce. Newlove finds it exceptionally effective. “We could now have a potent fertilizer, which is organic, ready in weeks,” she states. “It was transformative.” The popularity of bokashi has grown in Zambia, with farmers exchanging homemade compost at markets and sharing tips online. The Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre also offers bokashi training and often visits Newlove’s farm for demonstrations.

Rabecca Mwila from the Knowledge Platform for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Africa highlights the significance of bokashi. “Farmers have been searching for cost-effective ways to grow food,” she explains. “Bokashi presents an opportunity to cut costs.”

The Process of Making Bokashi

Bokashi involves fermenting food scraps in an anaerobic setting, free of oxygen. Farmers typically create bokashi outdoors using farm-available ingredients. Essential elements include leaves or crop residues, animal dung, charcoal, and ash. Yeast and sugar (from sources like molasses or bananas) initiate fermentation. The mixture heats up as microbes break it down, and after two weeks, it is buried near crops to decompose completely.

Farmers express enthusiasm for bokashi due to its affordability and its role in soil restoration. “Climate change has made rainfall unpredictable and dry seasons longer,” Mwila notes, highlighting farmers’ interest in sustainable fertilization options. Many express concern over the long-term impact of commercial fertilizers. “Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides have depleted the soil,” states Mwila. In response, Zambia once imported nearly all fertilizers. After a global price hike, alternative solutions became vital. Along with bokashi, the Zambian government encourages local fertilizer production, with plans for a $1.5 billion plant by a Chinese-Zambian conglomerate.

Despite a summer drop in global fertilizer prices, costs remain high in regions like Malawi, Tanzania, and South Africa. Government subsidies help, but supply often falls short. Donald Zulu from Copperbelt University explains that without subsidies, farmers may spend around $400 to fertilize 2.5 acres of corn, a prohibitive cost for many.

Bokashi’s Effectiveness on Crops

Seeking alternatives, Zulu collaborated with WeForest and local farmers to evaluate bokashi’s effects on corn and cabbage. “The results were promising,” he says. “Bokashi matched mineral fertilizer yields.” Yet, optimal results came from crops combining bokashi with mineral fertilizers. Newlove, who creates her own bokashi, values it for fostering sustainable farming. “Making it requires no mask, as there are no harmful chemicals,” she explains. “It’s a labor of love.”