EPISTEMIC BOOMERANG: EXPERT POLICY ADVICE AS LEVERAGE IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRANSGENIC MAIZE IN MEXICO

This article introduces the term epistemic boomerang to describe a distinctive pattern of activism in which activists, frustrated by exclusion from national politics, attempt to mobilize expert advice in support of social goals. Using expertise as leverage can be a desirable option for activists when political authorities favor technocratic decision making. Epistemic boomerang formation is possible when expert organizations encourage citizen participation in agenda setting and spaces are made for encounters between experts and activists. These processes are evident in the contentious politics of genetically engineered maize in Mexico. In this case, maize producers and community activists mobilized to confront an expert advisory group assembled by the tri-national Commission for Environmental Cooperation. As a result, the values and perspectives of many of the protesters were conveyed in the expert report and recommendations. This article examines the political outcomes of this epistemic boomerang and considers its implications for the study of social movements.