<p>This study aimed to assess the potential effect of climate change on habitat suitability for wild and cultivated food plants under future scenarios. Another aim was to determine whether food diversification can reduce the risk of food unavailability. Habitat suitability models were constructed for wild and cultivated species of economic and dietary importance and projected for future climate scenarios (2041–2060) using the Brazilian Semiarid as a case study. Variations in habitat suitability and species number were estimated for the species groups. The results showed that climate change can reduce habitat suitability for food plants, with a greater potential reduction for cultivated plants. The potential risk of species unavailability differed between groups. High-risk areas (species loss &gt; 50%) were larger for cultivated species than for wild and cultivated species together. Thus, food diversification represents a sustainable solution to promote adaptation to climate change and maintain food security in the future.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>