Future Smart Food: Rediscovering Hidden Treasures of Neglected and Underutilized Species for Zero Hunger in Asia has as its purposes: i) to demonstrate the multidimensional benefits of Neglected and Underutilized species (NUS) and their potential contribution to achieving Zero Hunger; ii) to identify promising NUS that are nutrition-dense, climate-resilient, economically-viable and locally available or adaptable as FSF; iii) to highlight the challenges and opportunities for harnessing these less-mainstream food crops encounters; and iv) to provide strategic recommendations to create an enabling environment for the promotion, production, marketing and consumption of Future Smart Food, assuring healthy diets for the future.

Future Smart Food, referring to NUS that are nutrition dense, climate resilient, economically viable and locally accessible, represent a promising abundance of food resources and constitute the bedrock of the food system. As José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General highlighted, these foods are smart because they can bolster dietary diversification, improve micronutrient intake, enhance soil health, require fewer inputs such as chemical fertilizers and often prove resilient to climate change and adverse farming conditions.