Local foods (such as leafy vegetables, berries, small animals, or any other traditional food source from local biodiversity) have long been an important part of people's diets - nutritious, affordable and adapted to local growing conditions and cultural traditions. They are cheap, readily affordable and rich in different micro-nutrients and are therefore crucial for the food and nutrition security of poor families in rural, peri-urban and urban areas. However, they have become neglected by consumers because of their association with poor rural lifestyles and low-status foods, thus putting at stake the dietary diversity, nutrition and health of local populations. In cities, increasing the presence of local foods in local food chains (in production, transformation, transport, commercialization and consumption) can tackle nutrition-related health issues, improve sustainable diets and contribute to the economic empowerment of women. Encouraging the increased presence of local foods in food chains supplying cities, ensuring for example their availability in supermarkets, is key to improve urban diets.