Basque Culinary World Prize 2026: Mexican Lucio Usobiaga Wins 11th Edition

Testo di redazione popEating, 8 novembre 2026, News

Arca Tierra founder honored for reviving the ancient chinampas of Xochimilco

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Tempo di lettura:3 minuti

Mexican Lucio Usobiaga has been named the winner of the 11th edition of the Basque Culinary World Prize (BCWP) for his work with Arca Tierra, an agricultural and collaborative network preserving the chinampas of Xochimilco—ancient arable islands built among canals in pre-Aztec times, now threatened by urbanization and pollution.

The prestigious award—promoted by the Basque Government and the Basque Culinary Center, featuring a €100,000 prize to be donated to a project of the winner's choice—celebrates gastronomy as a driving force for social, environmental, and economic impact.

The announcement was made in Curitiba during the Gastronomy, Identity, and Transformation event, in the presence of an international jury chaired by chef Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca) and featuring prominent figures such as Manu Buffara, Michel Bras, Elena Reygadas, Trine Hahnemann, Josh Niland, and Narda Lepes.

From Philosophy to the Land: The Arca Tierra Model

After studying philosophy, Lucio Usobiaga left academia to learn directly alongside Xochimilco’s farmers, recognizing that preserving ancestral knowledge required connecting it with real economic opportunities for those who work the land.

Building the Network: In 2011, he co-founded Yolcan, a project that evolved in 2020 into Arca Tierra—an integrated model combining agroecological production, environmental restoration, training, and hospitality.
Measurable Impact: Arca Tierra currently cultivates 6 hectares and collaborates with roughly 50 farming families across Xochimilco, Puebla, Hidalgo, and the State of Mexico, supplying 60 restaurants and 300 active subscribers.
Conscious Tourism and Dining: In 2025, nearly 16,000 visitors experienced the chinampas firsthand. In 2024, Usobiaga also opened the restaurant Baldío in collaboration with British chef Douglas McMaster.
Scientific Projects: Through the Xochimilco Agroecological Initiative (IAX), he leads environmental restoration and applied research projects bringing together farmers, scientists, chefs, and consumers.

A unique site like the chinampas of Xochimilco can only survive if the people who cultivate it can make a living from their work. Usobiaga has shown how traditional knowledge can help us face some of today's greatest challenges.

Joan Roca, Chair of the Jury

Words from the Winner

Upon receiving the award, Usobiaga (who has Basque roots) stated:

I am deeply moved to receive this recognition. At Arca Tierra, we share the BCWP's vision: building bridges between smallholder farmers and the culinary community, knowing that gastronomy is rooted in the land. Farmers care for our water, air, and soil while providing nutritious, delicious food. They are guardians of the earth and custodians of the planet's spiritual wealth. I accept this prize with immense gratitude and the conviction that it opens new paths for us to keep building together.

Special Mention and the New "BCWP Cooking Legacy" Distinction

The 2026 edition expanded its scope to highlight interdisciplinary approaches to food as well as the transformative nature of everyday cooking:

Special Mention: Edson Leite & Adélia Rodrigues (Gastronomia Periférica, Brazil)

The Brazilian co-founders received a Special Mention for their initiative providing culinary training, paid internships, and job placement to individuals from marginalized communities in São Paulo. Having trained over 3,000 people, their project aims to "bring the periphery to the center of gastronomy" and includes an innovative floating cooking school and restaurant designed to reach communities along the Amazon River.

BCWP Cooking Legacy: Jacques Pépin (France/USA)

The jury created this new honorary distinction to celebrate professionals who have dedicated their lives to making everyday cooking accessible to everyone. At age 90, Pépin—author of over 30 books, host of hundreds of TV shows, and co-founder of the Jacques Pépin Foundation alongside his daughter—was recognized for more than seven decades of empowering people through culinary education and social reintegration.

A Global Commitment to Sustainable Development

Basque Minister of Food Amaia Barredo and Basque Culinary Center Director General Joxe Mari Aizega reaffirmed the core mission of the Euskadi Basque Country strategy: positioning gastronomy not only as a tradition of excellence, but as a shared driver for social cohesion, sustainability, and global innovation.

Photo Credit Uta Gleiser / Pablo Antolí