El Mundo: When Foreign Crops Become a Taste of Home

13 November 2026

What would Spanish cuisine be without tomatoes, potatoes or beans? From tortilla española to gazpacho and Asturian fabada, some of Spain’s most beloved dishes depend on crops that originated thousands of kilometers away.  

Writing in El Mundo, Crop Trust Executive Director Stefan Schmitz explores how crops travel, adapt and become part of a country's culinary identity – and why protecting their diversity matters.

Over generations, farmers shaped crops to suit their soils, climates and tastes, creating distinctive local varieties. But familiar flavors can disappear. When the Roca brothers sought ingredients remembered from childhood, genebanks and research collections helped them recover varieties they could no longer find.

Writing shortly after joining partners to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Stefan underscores the need to protect. crop diversity. Genebanks care for collections and make them available for use, while the Svalbard Global Seed Vault safeguards backup copies. This gives future generations options to transform agriculture – and share local food traditions.

Discover the unexpected journeys behind familiar flavors  in El Mundo

Categories: For Educators, For The Press