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A refurbished City of Calgary bus is returning to the streets, but this time filled with affordable produce instead of passengers.

Fresh Routes’ mobile grocery store launched Monday with plans to change the produce game for Calgarians struggling to find and buy fresh produce. The new non-profit agency purchases its produce locally and sells it at a 40 to 60 per cent markdown so communities with limited access to grocery stores or low incomes can eat well.

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“There are no qualifying questions when you come; anyone has access to the market and mobile grocery store. We want people to have a choice that they can afford and stops right at their doorstep,” said Lourdes Juan, Fresh Routes co-founder.

Food access is a serious concern for many people, especially those who find themselves living in “food deserts,” said Juan.

The term “food deserts” has been used to describe North American neighbourhoods where residents cope with poor access to nutritious, affordable food. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, contributing factors include limited transportation and mobility, as well as low income and lack of grocery stores in the area.