Have you heard of Dr Mike Adams the HealthRanger at naturalnews.com? He's much more credible than you. He stands firmly opposed to gmo as am I and millions like us worldwide.

Expert response from Community Manager

Moderator for GMOAnswers.com

Wednesday, 14/01/2015 20:41

When weighing out your position on something that seems controversial, it is important to seek out a wide variety of sources and points of view.  To ensure the personal health and safety for us and our families we need to have the most complete and accurate information possible. And we need this information to come from credible sources. Your question raises an interesting question that leads us to the notion of credibility.

Credibility seems to be a bit of a moving target these days.  We live in a time where we are inundated with information. It is very difficult to discern who the true experts are as anyone can build a website, write a blog and make claims without the expertise or the credible sources to support those claims that they make.  When it comes to scientific information – like genetic engineering or GMOs – credibility should be awarded to those that have earned it through advanced education, research and production of peer-reviewed scholarly works.  Non-scientists can also be subject matter experts and enhance their credibility by appropriately studying and weighing information from credible scientific bodies, institutions and experts. An example of this are  journalists who gain credibility and expertise from years of objective, investigative reporting where journalists or writers access and reference appropriate resources.

Here is a response by Bruce Chassy, Professor Emeritus of Food Safety and Nutritional Sciences and an independent expert on GMOAnswers. Dr. Chassy addresses the idea of credibility as it relates to Jeffrey Smith.  His response puts into perspective how some people use the power of persuasion (they are charismatic, relatable, good story-tellers) to affect expertise.

While Mr. Adams certainly has a large following, he is not a plant geneticist, molecular biologist, a crop breeder, or a food scientist. Mike Adams does not hold an advanced degree in science or a PhD nor does he have a medical degree.  Thus, Mr. Adams is not qualified to speak with any authority on the topic of GMOs.  Most who have credible expertise on the complexities of science and food production would not view Mike Adams as a credible source for information about GMOs. Rather, credible experts are those individuals that have dedicated their careers to understanding the topic(s); they work in universities, public research institutes and even work for agricultural companies.

GMO Answers has been designed and developed as a forum for you to ask your questions and get some answers. Many credible, independent experts are available here that regularly contribute to this site. All are happy to answer your questions.