The role of endangered foods in global food security, nutritional resilience, and sustainable food systems: systematic review

The global food system is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable practices, driving numerous plants, animals, fungi, and associated culinary traditions toward extinction. These endangered foods represent not only a loss of cultural heritage but also a critical diminishment of genetic and nutritional diversity essential for robust and resilient food systems. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, started with 412 records, 85 studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on the role of neglected and underutilized species in food security, their drivers of decline, and related conservation policies. Our analysis, framed by the FAO’s four pillars of food security, demonstrates that endangered foods are vital for availability (providing climate-resilient genetic diversity), access (offering affordable nutrition), utilization (supplying unique micronutrients and bioactive compounds), and stability (buffering against production shocks). However, their potential is undermined by climate change, agricultural modernization favoring monocultures, socio-cultural erosion, and significant policy gaps. Case studies from Peru, West Africa, and the Pacific illustrate both the successful integration of these foods into security strategies and the persistent challenges of funding, market access, and infrastructure. The conservation and revitalization of endangered foods are imperative for achieving sustainable food systems and global nutritional resilience. This review concludes that effective integration requires a multi-faceted approach: strengthening seed sovereignty and agroecology, developing technology-enabled value chains, promoting food literacy, and implementing coherent policy frameworks that align conservation efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).