ABSTRACT
Biodiversity has been attracting greater attention over the last few years, visible through major new global initiatives focused on popularizing a wide range of neglected and underutilized species (NUS). Complementing this broad approach is the ‘Smart Food initiative’ that has a major focus on mainstreaming just a couple of NUS, aimed at diversifying staples. Given that staples typically make up 70% of the plate, a focus on diversifying staples can have big impact, if achieved with smart foods, i.e., foods that fulfil the criteria of being good for you (nutritious and healthy), good for the planet (environmentally sustainable) and good for those who produce and subsist on it, especially smallholder farmers. Underlying this potential for big impacts is the premise that all food solutions should have a ‘Smart Food Triple Bottom Line’, simultaneously satisfying all the criteria of being good for you, the planet and the farmer. This chapter elaborates on these approaches and the key learnings in this field to date.
