Just Existing Is Resisting: The Everyday Struggle against the Expansion of GM Crops in Spain

The attempt to have coexistence between organic, conventional and genetically modified (GM) crops has generated unresolved frictions between agro-food models based on different practices, values, worldviews and cultures. This article explores forms of everyday resistance that have emerged against the domineering power and spread of GM maize in Spain, the gateway nation for GM crops in Europe. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic work and interviews, we describe six practices by which social actors throughout the agro-food system are resisting the expansion of GM maize and forming some unlikely alliances. We conclude that a myriad of practical resistance actions are taking place, from actors in both alternative and conventional food systems, as they fight for their survival against the political power and uncontrolled biological spread of GM crops. These practices challenge the regulatory concept of the possibility of a harmonious coexistence between the systems and highlight how an everyday struggle is required for non-GM maize actors to continue to exist.