WHAT: Kevin Folta, interim chairman of the University of Florida’s horticultural sciences department, will participate in a public forum hosted by the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute, called “Biotechnology: Feeding the World, or a Brave New World of Agriculture?”

WHEN: 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 4

BACKGROUND: The last few decades have seen traditional plant-breeding techniques begin to give way to a new era of agriculture in which DNA sequencing allows scientists to select for beneficial traits and vastly shortening the time it takes to create new cultivars. While many have concerns about these changes, Folta and science journalist and author Jon Entine have no such fears. During the forum, they will answer critics who say biotechnology may do long-term damage to the world’s food supply or result in inadvertent harm to consumers.

The event initially was to be the first formal debate between biotechnology advocates and detractors, but those who had been set to argue that the technological changes pose a threat — French professor Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen and Jeffrey Smith, the author of “Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods” — withdrew.

The Cato Institute is a public policy think tank, and according to its website, is “dedicated to principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.”

WHERE: The Cato Institute, Hayek Auditorium, 1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. The event can be seen live online at www.cato.org/live or you can follow @CatoEvents on Twitter.

CONTACT: Kevin Folta, 352-392-1928, ext. 269, kfolta@ufl.edu or @kevinfolta. Folta is available for interviews before Tuesday’s forum.

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