Description: Wild gathered products, also referred to as non-wood forest products (NWFPs), are well-placed to contribute to more nutritious, bio-based economies and drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth. They are becoming increasingly important raw materials for industry as food, cosmetics, bio-substitutes of chemical or polluting materials and are also important for recreation. Many products are being re-vitalized, and new uses being discovered. Edible NWFPs are being used in food and medicinal products, for example “superfoods” such as acai and moringa, “novel” foods such as edible-insect and oak-acorn based flours, special drinks like birch water/sap, or shea and wild mango as palm and cocoa substitutes. “Open source food” is steadily becoming the focus of new cuisines and re-emerging on menus throughout the world; in others, wild food continues to form the basis of traditional dishes. This side event will showcase interventions from various initiatives supported by FAO, including • a FAO/ICRAF project in Uganda on building opportunities for grasshopper, shea and balanites (desert date) value chains; • an Innovation Network project in the Mediterranean focusing on cork, resins and wild edibles; • a Government of Algeria supported initiative on the use of oak acorns for the production of cous-cous. • A joint FAO/Government of Turkey initiative to prepare guidelines for the sustainable management of major NWFP A NWFP “marketplace” will take place on the side-lines of the event, showcasing products and experiences from different wild product enterprises from around the world. Draft agenda: