The snapshot of the local context and the CRFS scan can be based on literature reviews, interviews and focus groups.  A likely finding will be that there is a lack of comprehensive information and data in the public domain, especially on the level of the city region and in cities. This is a key finding in itself and helps steer further data collection efforts. Data sources and assumptions made should be indicated. Retrieval locations of data sources need to be  indicated and hard and soft copies collected for further use. Where no data/information are available on the wider food system, sample stakeholder interviews may be used to gather information.

To guide data collection, a CRFS Data Framework has been developed, following the key research questions asked as part of the CRFS scan. It uses a whole food system approach and covers the areas of food production, processing, wholesale and distribution, retail and catering, consumption and waste. It also considers different sustainability dimensions of the CRFS. It gives an extensive overview of relevant data indicators for each of these areas that may help respond to the key questions that help characterizing the CRFS. Its aim is not to collect information on all indicators listed. It rather provides guidance on what data to possibly look for, where to find that data and the type of surveys that could be used to collect information through interviews with key stakeholders to help fill data gaps. 

Examples of literature sources studied in Kitwe, Lusaka, Colombo and Toronto are provided here. The Toronto comprehensive data set was also used to develop the ‘Availability of Essential Numbers’ table.