• Smallholder farmers are critical to the management of biodiversity;
• Genetic diversity is central to climate resilience and the future of food;
• Crop management practices should enhance positive benefits and reduce negative impacts.

This proof-of-concept TEEBArgiFood study explores the true cost of maize in Mexico, looking at dependencies and impacts across different regions and production systems. The findings recognize maize as indispensable to the future of the global food system and inextricably entwined with Mexican national and Indigenous identities. It demonstrates the web of social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence maize production and consumption.