From ground to plate to waste stream, the city is putting Calgary’s food system under a microscope to determine where the gaps are and what the next steps will be.

As part of the City of Calgary Food System Assessment and Action Plan, experts will be seeking the answers to questions like: Where does Calgary’s food come from? Who are the producers?

“We have a vision for what a sustainable food system is in Calgary, but in terms of understanding how we get there, we need to take stock of what’s currently happening,” said Rebecca Newlove, sustainability consultant with the city.

As it stands, Ward 9 Ald. Gian-Carlo Carra said there is no level of government responsible for looking at these aspects of food production.

“We can get food from all over the world now, but what about food close to home?” he said. “I want people to have choice.”

Dana Pierce, development officer with Alberta Agriculture, said the initiative will serve as a pilot project for the province.

“Not only is it going to help the citizens of the province have access to better food, but it’s going to grow the value of businesses too.”