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Societal Impact StatementCrop genetic resources, particularly seeds held in ex situ germplasm collections, have enormous value in breeding climate‐resilient crops. Much of this value accrues from information associated with germplasm accessions. Here, we argue that flavor, culinary attributes, and other traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) are important characteristics alongside genomic information and high‐throughput phenotypes. We explore both the value of this information and the potential risks of exploitation of sensitive TEK. We also examine the potential of in situ conservation to preserve not just the genetic diversity of crops, but the TEK associated with them. SummaryCrop genetic diversity is essential for meeting the challenges posed to agriculture by a rapidly changing climate. Harnessing that diversity requires well‐organized information, often held by ex situ genebanks and associated databases. However, the characterization of crop germplasm often lacks information on its cultural and culinary background, specifically its flavor or taste. For most crops, characterization data is lacking, but when it is present it is more likely to include whole genome information, high‐throughput estimation of growth characteristics, and chemical profiles indicating flavor rather than details on the dishes for which particular varieties are favored or how smallholder farms have grown particular accessions. This loss of cultural and culinary information, and the broader loss of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), is more than just missing information. It is a loss of legacy when landraces are no longer grown by the communities that developed them. In the face of climate change, TEK has great value for developing more sustainable or resilient practices. And with increasingly global palettes, we must balance consumers enjoying dishes from new crops with the appropriation of culturally meaningful foods. Our aim here is to explore this flavor gap, to understand the risks in sharing data and the benefits of honoring long‐established uses. We emphasize the importance of ensuring the fair representation of diverse peoples in genebanks and consider both ex situ and in situ conservation approaches. Finally, we analyze the impact of modern breeding choices on culinary diversity, emphasizing the preservation of ancestral knowledge and flavor profiles. 

Food system sustainability, and ways of measuring it, are widely explored and discussed in academic literature. Measurement efforts are challenging because food systems are inherently complex and multifaceted, spanning diverse components, indus­tries, sectors, and scales. Several systems of indica­tors and metrics have been proposed to measure sustainability; however, most existing research focuses either on narrow scales (e.g., farm level or within a single supply chain), expansive scales that can gloss over complexity (e.g., national or global assessments), or limited scopes (e.g., only consider­ing environmental factors). A gap in the literature is a holistic local or regional approach to food sys­tem sustainability that integrates components across the system at a regional scale. In this reflec­tive essay, we describe our development of a framework to measure and track sustainability in such systems. We use a tiered framework that includes five sustainability dimensions and a system of indices, indicators, and metrics that allows for the measurement of important food system charac­teristics in a feasible and reproducible way. We employ a collaborative, transdisciplinary, facilitated team science process to first propose, and then refine, a sustainability assessment framework, using the U.S. state of Vermont as a case study. This paper details our process and progress, as well as reflections on challenges and recommendations for other team scientists. We further propose a plan to implement the framework, collect data, and engage with community members. The experiences and findings described here serve as a foundation for our own team’s continued work, as well as a springboard for other similar research efforts.