Droughts threats on Mexico’s culinary heritage

The impacts of anthropogenic climate change on food systems have been widely documented from the biophysical and economic perspectives; however, the cultural dimension remains insufficiently integrated into vulnerability assessment. In this context, we examine the case of Mexico, internationally recognized for its gastronomy and characterized by a strong biocultural foundation, high climatic variability, and significant exposure to drought. We assessed the vulnerability of 48 native crops relevant to Mexican gastronomy to drought events occurring between 1990 and 2023 and examined how this vulnerability translates into a potential risk of erosion of traditional dishes. We identified 22 native crops with a medium to high vulnerability level. The most sensitive crops were those produced predominantly under rainfed systems, whereas irrigated systems functioned as buffers, exhibiting smaller reductions in yield. Overall, crop vulnerability could potentially affect 628 traditional dishes. These findings suggest that climate change threatens not only agricultural production but also Mexico's food diversity and gastronomic heritage, underscoring the need to integrate the cultural dimension into climate assessment and adaptation strategies.