Climate change and the transgenic adaptation strategy: Smallholder livelihoods, climate justice, and maize landraces in Mexico

► We examine climate adaptation strategies in crop centers of origin, focusing on maize in Mexico. ► We analyze three likely responses by maize farmers to climate change. ► Transgenic crops engineered with traits to combat climate change may not provide sufficient benefits to be prioritized over adaptation strategies using farmers' landraces. ► Adaptation strategies should be agroecologically informed to take advantage of the ways that diverse crop resources can be maintained by farmers.