The Uncertain Future of New Mexico Chile

Abstract

Chile is an essential component of New Mexico’s cuisine and is an economically important heritage crop. Despite its popularity, commercial New Mexico chile producers struggle to remain competitive in globalized markets. Geographical indication labels and branding, both based on claims of New Mexico’s unique terroir, are used to distinguish the product in the global marketplace and add value. Chile production, however, is increasingly also threatened by issues of water scarcity exacerbated by climate change. This article uses ethnographic data collected between 2014 and 2022 to examine strategies for securing a viable chile industry in a changing landscape of production. I discuss the benefits and drawbacks of fallowing, efficient irrigation systems, and the creation of new chile varieties to confront water scarcity and their potential effects on the quantity and quality of chile grown in the region. I show that both water scarcity and our adaptations to water scarcity, though necessary to confront water-scarce futures, could undermine claims of terroir that distinguish the product in the global marketplace.