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The project that saw the birth of the Nandom Food Farmers Co-operative Movement was initiated in 1977. The motivation for starting this project was to address the food storage and marketing needs of farmers in the project catchment area. The project was a direct response to the realisation that most farmers were compelled to sell the bulk of their annual food products cheaply at the time of harvest to 'middlemen' only to buy back the same food at exorbitant prices during the lean season. The project promoted the establishment of village groups, which will undertake the purchase, storage and resale of food stuffs within their own communities. This would ensure the retention of food in the communities and by eliminating middlemen. And the cost of food would be reasonably low even in the lean season. The involvement of the FIC Brothers in the project dates back to 1997,
when one of its members was requested to take over responsibilities for
the Management of the project. Since, then the project has seen a gradual
reorientation from the establishment of village groups to the promotion
of viable co-operative societies that would stimulate the initiation and
growth of a diversity of economic activities in the catchment areas. To
this extent, besides the provision of village level storage facilities,
the project has also been engaged in the promotion of co-operative societies
through community animation and leadership training programmes. It also
supports the groups with credit facilities either directly or via intermediaries,
to provide them with the capital required for the grain storage programmes
and other income generating activities.
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