Smoking is an ancient method of preserving food. It imparts a smoky flavor which many people enjoy (though some do not). The advantages of smoking vs cooking include being able to smoke large amounts of food efficiently using racks and potentially less and/or cheaper fuel, and greatly reduced risk of burning the food (or the racks, which may be made of wood in a primitive/camping context).
While smoked meats are what we often think of, many foods can be smoked including vegetables, herbs, spices, and almost anything if you like the flavor it imparts to the food.
Smoking does also cook the food, only slower. Also, some people do eat raw or undercooked meats as a culinary choice. It does increase the chances of acquiring food borne parasites if the meat is undercooked.