Focusing on the identified food need assessment, this project will target areas of hunger, food security and food system infrastructure, specifically production, distribution and access. The activities to reach this goal are to:
Develop a farm and green house farming – to provide food to low income and vulnerable population and food pantries and provide hands-on training with supportive food skills classes.
Develop a food cooperative to increase Bunyala is rural by all standards of the term and experiences many of the same challenges of most rural communities. The need to:
1) Address hunger, food insecurity system and health issues.
2) Build fertile soils; and
3) Enhance farming opportunities through sustainable Agriculture and successes.
4) Nutrition
5) Health and Well Being
6) Cooperative Education
7) Social Change

What sets BAFFC appart is the way we have come together to address these issues. The project partners must create a unified team with the intent of working together to understand and develop a sustainable food systems approach using a wealth of collective data and a robust network of non-profit, government, agricultural institutions, healthcare, and community partners. Accessibility of food for low income and food preparation and nutrition courses, a increase market and income to area farmers; and Develop a “Buy fresh, buy local” marketing campaign, to educate consumers about the power of purchasing locally grown product to support a sustainable local food system. Food project will increase the capacity of Bunyala low-income and vulnerable populations to access fresh and local food, the overall health and self-care of individuals, and the capacity of food institutions and businesses to provide local food products. The project will pilot new methods for Co-operation for the development of new products, processes and technologies in the agri food and forestry sectors. It will implement joint initiatives between producers to pilot projects and processes which seek to develop new ways of enhancing efficiency, increasing food production and security, market profitability specifically, and developing new ways of gaining access to markets and also to create new products which may create a new demand within the marketplace. The project will work with farm businesses to pilot the growing of new food crops and food stuffs within rural Bunyala. Fruit, vegetables and herbs which are not traditionally cultivated in the area will be trialled. The project will also work directly with groups of farmers to pilot new ways of working collectively to ensure closer integration between the primary producer and end user. Establish a food for rescue and development kitchen, a small processing and packaging area, retail outlets, a bakery and market day booths. Foods cooperative, a not-profit business, will help its members add value to the products they harvest, develop new niche products, and participate as consumer. Products will include fish havested locally, beef- pork–chicken and eggs from youth and natural or green house farmed products available in Bunyala and others from neghbouring communities.

The anticipated outcomes are: low income job creation and increased knowledge of food and nutrition skills through the establishment of a Food Cooperative and Association Steering Committee (FCASC), a Buy Fresh Buy Local Food and Farm Direstory (BFBLFFD) and Healthy and Happy Individuals Manual (HHIM). The project is a community based participatory effort to increase food security in the Bunyala community faced by seasonal floodings and droughts. This project and the related activities were chosen based on the identified critical needs of the community, in particular Community Food Security Needs Assesment (CFSNA): Hunger and Food Insecurity – increase access to healthy and local foods, and educational activities for low-income population related to health, nutrition and food, using variouse pedagogies. Locall food production – increase food availability while smulateniousely providing farm and runch viability/ profitability through regional marketing and by addressing policies ; and Distribution – decrease barriers to supply local food products through an increase in availability, quality, quantity and consistency for both consumers and retailers. The business incubator approach will supply the local markets with various type of food, make sure that there is plenty and variety for nutrition at affordable costs. Make sure that nobody dies of hunger in the community. These intiative will enable the creation of cottage industries and will also promote the harvesting of new, under-utilized species, crate a retail fish operation, encourage the consumption of natural local products, and capitalize on a growing tourism industry through its market day booths. The project will support initiatives which pilot new ways of showcasing food products to visitors. The youth will be empowered by the projects to form small groups of 10-15 that will be endowed to produce food for the cooperative through; green house farming, cattle raring for beef and milk production, pigry, chicken for eggs and meat and fish firming. This are all jobs for our youth.

The food Co-op's promoters will work closely with local architects and engineers to develop plans for a building that will go far beyond the typical grocery store. We will strive to create a true community marketplace that offers new opportunities and enriching experiences for its members, employees, volunteers, consumers, local farmers, fishermen and vendors. The Feasibility Study, Food Survey Results & Potential Food Models The feasibility study was designed to look at a number of different factors in the community to determine if the community can sustain a food store. Firstly, it looked at community interest and support of a food store project. Secondly, the market analysis was reviewed to the purchasing power within the community to determine if there is enough income in the community to sustain the food store. A market analysis is a standard component of any feasibility study and is very important to ensure the financial success of any consumer driven enterprise. An important component of the feasibility study was also to look at other similar projects but there are none and we are ready to offer an example to emulate in terms of food security and nutrition, in Bunyala and across the country. This will provide lessons as to what has never been and why. It’s a grate innovation because we are sure to offer a market store to our farmers and bring in variety of foods and products from the neighboring Uganda farmers and from other regions of our country. The cooperative centre will be under management of Executive Committee of TEEP – CBO and will have 3 employees and three volonteers distributed as follows: • Property manager: 1 • Clerk: 1 • Janitor: 1 3 volunteers on daily basis. 125+ interviews were made: retailers, farmers, food distributors, restaurateurs, wineries, farmers’ market managers, fishermen, public officials, non-profits, developers, educators, artists, health care, ethnic representatives, youth groups, women groups, council members and fishermen. Other issues: •Consumer and farmer focus groups •Demographic research •Agricultural census research and farm visits •Site analysis and selection •Merchandising concept •Partnership exploration •Financial analysis •Economic impact analysis

Source of Demand •Restaurants, institutions interested in accessing local foods •Growing ethnic community expected to be attracted to Community Market •Fresh food sales potential customers in 20 mile radius and tourists •Fishermen and fish mongers •Across-boarder trade with the neighbouring Uganda Vendor Research •Large, diverse farming region with increasing focus on speciality crops and direct marketing •Expanding number of small scale farmers, fishermen and fish traders •Increase in number of farmers’ markets throughout region •Increasingly sophisticated restaurant community, great interest in local foods •High quality, locally owned supermarkets with strong loyalty – nimble competitors •Small number but high quality speciality food retailers •Strong interest from retailers, wineries, artists, and food distributors participating in coop Market Site Selection and Criteria •Visibility from roads •Accessibility by car, truck, bus and foot •Surface parking •Potential to influence down-town revitalization •Context/supportive adjacent uses •Size/mixed use opportunity (4 acres) •Availability and cost Development Program Principles •Centre of local food excitement” •Complexity of uses, with multiple income streams •Large enough to be regional and tourist magnet but not too large that exceeds potential demand or supply •Able to be phased •Production focus – products made by the vendors •Address opportunities in retail, wholesale, food production and education