A large part of Nicaragua’s population suffers from malnourishment. LOMBRIABONO has the potential to close the unfair gap that has been created in food consumption encouraged by the differences in salaries and the price of the basket of goods.
3.2. Mission
LOMBRIBONO is an organization dedicated to bridging the food gap in Nicaraguan families while promoting recycling of food waste.
3.3. Vision
Start a recycling revolution in Nicaragua that will not only clean the environment, but will provide food to thousands of underprivileged Nicaraguan families. Have the LOMBRIBONO name represent a cultural change in Nicaragua where it is possible to make a business and help others at the same time; starting a social revolution in the process.
3.4. Objectives
3.4.1. General Introducing Nicaraguans to vermicomposting, assuring products of excellent quality meeting all the standards and nutrient content of a top fertilizer.
Make a big impact not only in the way Nicaraguans view recycling, but how they view social enterprises.
Alleviate those whose salaries are not enough to support their family’s consumption needs.
3.4.2. Specific
Be the number one brand of organic fertilizer in the country by the end of the third year.
Have four farms running vermicomposting centers by the end of the first year.
Start shipping to other Central American countries before the end of the fifth year.
Place LOMBRIBONO with the largest distributor of agriculture products in Nicaragua, DISAGRO as well as supermarket chains La Colonia, La Union, and Pali.
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vermicomposting. It also important for them to know how to test for quality and pest control Vermicomposting is a simple process, but it still requires some care when it comes to the amount of moisture in the food waste pile and making sure the red worms have enough to eat.Focus on quality: LOMBRIBONO will have the best quality in regards to local fertilizer with higher Nitrate Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium levels, all vital for plant growth and provided by the decomposition of food waste by the red worms.
Support from the masses: We will depend on support from the agriculture sector that will produce the vermicast, as well as support from the markets that will be in charge of collecting the waste and paying the depositors in crops. We will also count on the support from the population who will provide their food waste to the markets in exchange for food.
Logistics and Distribution: It is important to optimize the resources to ensure that the product and the food waste is transported as cost efficiently as possible. It is also key to have to product as available to the customers as possible, having it in various points of sale.
Branding: Probably the most important key success factor. The proper branding will ensure the support that we need from our key partners as well as the image that we hope to attain in Nicaraguans as one of the few social brands in the country.
3.6. Brand and Product Overview
The name LOMBRIBONO was chosen as a portmanteau of Lombriz and abono. “Lombriz”
means worm and “abono” means fertilizer in Spanish. The idea was to keep the name simple enough for people to associate it quickly with our product and our movement. By using the Spanish name for worm, we hope to create a curiosity from customers towards our product.
The simple name was chosen as well with the hopes if it being easy to memorize, which in turn will help people remember the brand as well as the social motivation behind it.
LOMBRIBONO will sell three products: vermicomposting, vermicomposting tea, and red worms. All of them are results of the process of composting done by the feeding of red worms
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on food waste. The vermicomposting will be sold in two different packages, a 5kg bag for recreational gardeners and 50kg bag for larger projects and farms. Both the 5kg and 50kg packages will be made of paper instead of the typical plastic to keep with the recycling theme.
The vermicomposting tea will be sold in plastic 1 gallon containers and the worms will be sold by the kilogram in Styrofoam containers.
3.7. Logo
The logo was made with the objective to represent the industry (agriculture) as well as the differentiation of our product, which is the use of red worms to produce organic fertilizer. The colors also represent organic as well as growth. The slogan is “Abono organico socialmente responsable,” which translates to “Socially responsible organic fertilizer.”
Figure 2: Lombriabono Logo
3.8. Process of Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting is the process by which red worms feed on food waste and produce organic fertilizer of premium quality once it is secreted as feces. In the process, vermicomposting is produced as well as vermicomposting tea, which is the liquid that is secreted. The food waste that is selected must meet certain requirements. Vermicomposting can also be done from animal dung, but it must first go through a normal process of composting before it can be used as feed for the red worms.
The red worms weigh approximately a gram and need that same amount of food to survive.
The red worm consumes about 40-60% of the food for its own energy and the remaining is excreted as vermicomposting. The vermicomposting tea results from keeping the concentration at an 80% moisture. If the water that comes out of the mix is still clear, it is
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placed in the mix again until it comes out dark. When the vermicomposting tea has achieved the right color, the substance is placed in barrels and left there for 1-3 months.
When the stalls are full of vermicomposting, we stop adding food to the pile for a few days.
This is done for two reasons, first to make sure that the red worms eat the food that is already there and not the new waste that is being added and two, to make sure that when the separation process starts, the worms will head to the new pile of waste. The separation process is how we separate the worms from the already processed vermicomposting. To do this, a space is created in the middle of the pile and fresh waste is added, to which the worms will all migrate to the middle, leaving the already processed vermicomposting almost worm free and ready to be collected.
The red worms reproduce at accelerated rates, doubling in population every 3 months. As long as they are properly taken care of, the life span of a worm can be up to 5 years.
The advantages of vermicomposting are macro and micro nutrients added by the worm’s digestion system, as well as the saliva, which helps keep moisture in plants.
3.9. Waste for Food Program
Not only are our products organic, beneficial for soil and crops, and of high nutrient content, but thanks to the waste for food program we will be able to bridge the hunger gap in Nicaragua. People of the cities of Carazo will be able to deposit their food waste in our collection centers in the cities’ markets and will in exchange receive credit with those markets for food.
With the waste for food program we are cleaning the environment and feeding underprivileged families who have a hard time putting food on their tables.
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LOMBRIBONO looks to provide quality organic fertilizer recycling food wastes from households and in turn providing food as form of payment to the households for their contribution.
4.1.1. Social Value Proposition
LOMBRIBONO looks to promote the recycling of food waste as well as bridging the hunger and malnutrition gap that exists in the country. We also look to produce organic fertilizer, which is better for the soil and the crops, increasing the overall health of the population.
4.1.2. Impact Measures
Amount of food waste recycled per month.
Number of households participating in the recycling and receiving food.
Amount of food handed out monthly by our program.
4.1.3. Customer Value Proposition
LOMBRIABONO will provide the best organic fertilizer in Nicaragua thanks to the help of the added value that worm processing on food wastes has. In turn, using our products the farmer or gardener will be improving the quality of his soil and crops by using fertilizers that are not harmful to them. As well as the quality of the product, the customers will rest assure knowing that their purchase will help feed thousands of households in the nation as well as promote the recycling of food waste.
4.2. Customer Segments
4.2.1. Customers Small farms: In many states you can find small farms commonly known as “quintas.”
These “quintas” range from an acre up to a couple dozens of acres and they specialize in fruits and vegetables or raising small animals such as goats, chickens and pigs.
Recreational gardeners: The adult that wishes to keep his or her garden tidy with