Jeffrey Smith

[[File:JeffreySmithYogicFlying.jpg|thumb|upright|right|165px|Jeffrey Smith demonstrates Yogic flying in 1996]]{{foodnav}}
'''Jeffrey Smith''' is a dance teacher<ref>http://www.eric-randall.com/swingsmith/iowacityclasses.html</ref> and a long-time [[woo]] promoter who made a big career when he decided to join the anti-[[GMO]] movement. He used to be big on [[Yogic flying]] and [[Transcendental Meditation]], and was a candidate for the Natural Law Party in [[Iowa]].<ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/tomorrowstable/2010/12/dr_oz_prescribes_non-gmo_diets.php Tommorow's Table: Dr. Oz asks who can we trust when it comes to Genetically Engineered Crops?]</ref> Nowadays he bills himself as a "leading consumer advocate"<ref>[http://responsibletechnology.org/resources/media-kit/jeffrey-m-smith-bio Jeffrey Smith's official biography]</ref> and is rather secretive about his past. Notably, he does not appear to have any training in biology.<ref>[http://www.biofortified.org/2009/06/who-is-jeffrey-smith/ Biofortified: Who is Jeffrey Smith?]</ref> He runs a PR outlet called Institute for Responsible Technology. Its main activity is spreading contrived, unscientific [[FUD]] about [[genetically modified food|genetically modified crops]]. The Institute is supported by donations from over a dozen [[organic food]] companies and is promoted by the alt-med woo site [[NaturalNews]] <ref>http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-organizations/institute-for-responsible-technology-ifrt/</ref>. Smith sits on the board of [[John Fagan]]'s Genetic ID company, and appears to have connections to the Maharishi cult (which Fagan is also a member of).<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/11/business/caught-in-headlights-of-the-biotech-debate-a-gene-testing-lab-and-its-critics.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm "Caught in Headlights Of the Biotech Debate; A Gene-Testing Lab and Its Critics"]</ref> 

Smith appears to believe that [[chemtrails]] are part of [[Monsanto]]’s conspiracy to control the world food supply<ref>https://www.facebook.com/responsibletechnology/posts/10201719064793673</ref>, and was a guest speaker at the 2012 Consciousness Beyond Chemtrails Conference.<ref>http://action.responsibletechnology.org/o/6236/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1215635</ref>

==Books==
Smith wrote two books which are a perennial go-to source for the anti-GMO activists: ''Seeds of Deception'' and ''Genetic Roulette''. Both books argue that genetically modified foods are all harmful, and the biotech industry is [[conspiracy theory|colluding]] with regulatory agencies and genetic scientists to hide these risks from the public. Naturally, a substantial amount of [[appeal to Monsanto|Monsanto-baiting]] is involved. To source his claims, he uses very questionable research from the usual ideologically motivated suspects, including Árpád Pusztai, [[Gilles-Eric Séralini]], Terje Traavik, and [[Irina Ermakova]]. There is a distinct scarcity of peer-reviewed papers in his sources, and those which he does cite are gross outliers, often suffering from poor methodology.

The underlying narrative of the books — that GM foods are dangerous, and the danger stems from [[DNA]] modification rather than the specific traits introduced — can be deconstructed by anyone with a high school level grasp of biology. We eat DNA every day, in various mixtures, since practically all dishes contain material from multiple species of living organisms — for example, a hamburger contains at least seven.<ref group=note>A basic hamburger with lettuce and ketchup contains [[cow]], wheat, sesame, yeast, lettuce, tomato and pepper, and if from a fast food place, extracts of [[onion]], [[soy]], corn, and maybe potato.</ref> Before being absorbed, all this DNA is broken down to short fragments during digestion. Therefore, eating a tomato with a [[fish]] gene can be expected to be about as dangerous as eating a fish in tomato sauce. Any possible danger must be limited to the specific introduced trait, so no useful statements on safety can be made about GM crops in general; the assessment must be done on a case-by-case basis. This position is shared by all respectable scientific bodies.<ref>WHO: [http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/index.html 20 questions on genetically modified foods]</ref><ref>[http://www.icsu.org/publications/reports-and-reviews/new-genetics-food-and-agriculture-scientific-discoveries-societal-dilemas-2003 ICSU report on GM food]</ref><ref>http://www.nationalacademies.org/webextra/crops/</ref>

==Movies==
Smith is currently producing an anti-GMO documentary titled "[http://www.secretingredientsmovie.com Secret Ingredients].<ref>[http://www.secretingredientsmovie.com Smith's Upcoming Movie's Website]</ref>".

==See also==
*[[Genetically modified food]]

==External links==
*[http://academicsreview.org/reviewed-content/genetic-roulette/ Extensive refutation of ''Genetic Roulette'']
*[http://jameswcooper.com/gmodebunk/gmodebunk.htm Jeffrey Smith's anti-GMO powerpoint presentation], and a point-by-point rebuttal

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{foodbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jeffrey}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Biotechnology]]
[[Category:Chemophobes]]
[[Category:Food woo promoters]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]

Categories: Authors, Biotechnology, Chemophobes, Food woo promoters, Living people, Pseudoscience promoters