The New Men of Maize

Klepek, James

doi:10.1215/9780822394679-111

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Genetic diversity in the world's major food crops is critical to global food supply, hence as Isakson (2009) argues, "the cultivation of agrobiodiversity and, consequently, global food security, is contingent upon the 'food sovereignty' of peasant farmers" in places like Guatemala (Isakson, 2009, p. 726). Perhaps because of these high stakes, the impacts and potential threats of genetic engineering in Guatemala have long been forewarned and theorized (Grandia, 2014;Klepek, 2011Klepek, , 2012Soleri et al, 2005).…”

Section: Genetically Modified Organisms In Guatemalamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite evidence of broader anti-GMO sentiments, most accounts prior to the 2014 mobilizations suggest the issue was uniquely a concern for the country's Indigenous and peasant citizens. In fact, just a few years before the 2014 protests, Klepek (2011) documented concerns about GMO policies exacerbating class tensions. This pre-2014 scholarship framed GMO resistance as primarily a Mayan movement (Grandia, 2014;Klepek, 2011Klepek, , 2012.…”

Section: Genetically Modified Organisms In Guatemalamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, just a few years before the 2014 protests, Klepek (2011) documented concerns about GMO policies exacerbating class tensions. This pre-2014 scholarship framed GMO resistance as primarily a Mayan movement (Grandia, 2014;Klepek, 2011Klepek, , 2012. In contrast, accounts of the 2014 mobilizations against the Monsanto Law suggest the movement's success hinged on a powerful and diverse coalition, inspiring action from all sides of ethnic and class lines.…”

Section: Genetically Modified Organisms In Guatemalamentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Biotechnologizing’ or ‘democratizing’?

Fleming

2022

CanFoodStudies

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Until 2019, Guatemala upheld a de-facto moratorium on GMOs. The ban has been attributed to broad-based social resistance and the unlikely alliances galvanized by the issue. Recent legislation, however, has been met with little resistance. In this paper, I show how the tensions between anti-GM actors and their interactions on the ground help to explain this turn of events in Guatemala, and—more broadly— contributes to our understanding of how biotechnology advances despite significant resistance. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic observation, I demonstrate how urban, professional class Ladinos who oppose GMOs draw on scientific and technical arguments divorced from broader political-economic critiques. Meanwhile, campesino and indigenous activists center their resistance within broader structures of oppression such as colonialism, racism, and capitalism. Specifically, I show how ‘biotechnologizing’ is employed in problematic ways, not only by pro-GMO coalitions—as other scholarship suggests—but also by anti-GM allies. This case contributes to our understanding of how anti-GMO movement frames get constructed in local contexts, and the tensions that arise between anti-GM groups, revealing significant impediments to creating a more just food future in Guatemala.

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