Markets of Multitudes: How Biotechnologies are Standardising and Differentiating Corn and Soybeans Jason Konefal* and Lawrence Busch Abstract Using the case of corn and soybean production, this article examines the development of a market of multitudes in agrifood systems. With the introduction of genetically modified varieties, corn and soy production have undergone significant standardisation. However, the market for non-genetically modified corn and soybeans has simultaneously prolifer- ated. Thus, there are now multiple market streams for corn and soy that, we argue, has given rise to a new organisational model, namely supply chain management. Using data collected from a survey, interviews and web analyses we examine how supply chain management is being implemented in non-genetically modified corn and soybean pro- duction. Specifically, we examine the use of identity preservation programmes, stan- dards, audits and testing, and the benefits and limitations of such an organisational model for different actors. In concluding, we argue that the shift towards a market of multitudes is creating opportunities for producers and consumers but also poses a number of ethical challenges. G enetically modified (GM) corn and soybean varieties have been widely adopted in the USA and they are being increasingly adopted across the world. 1 However, the market for corn and soybeans is also more differentiated than ever. In other words, the demand for and production of corn and soy is simultaneously becoming both more standardised and more differentiated. On the one hand, there has been the widespread adoption of GM varieties of corn and soy. On the other hand, a consider- able market for non-GM corn and soybeans persists in much of the world. As a result of significant consumer and social movement organisation (SMO) resistance to GM foods in parts of Europe, Asia, and the USA (Schurman 2004; Kollman and Prakash 2007; Kurzer and Cooper 2007); many retailers are unwilling to carry GM products and some food processors will not use GM materials. This is particularly true with respect to food processors with well-known branded products or food processors operating in sensitive areas (for example, baby food). Furthermore, the use of GM materials in organic agriculture is prohibited, and organic foods are one of the fastest © 2010 The Authors. Sociologia Ruralis © 2010 European Society for Rural Sociology. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK Sociologia Ruralis, Vol 50, Number 4, October 2010 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2010.00510.x