Event to feature hot topic in food and agriculture
Concerns about the impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on food and the environment will be in the spotlight at the next Cazenovia Forum, when the guest lecturer will be Sarah Davidson Evanega, a plant scientist and Cornell University professor who is a leading supporter of genetic engineering as a key tool to promote global food security and protect habitats.
Evanega’s presentation, “GMOs: Fostering a Climate for Change,” will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, June 16, at the Catherine Cummings Theatre on Lincklaen Street in Cazenovia. Admission is free, no reservations are required and audience members are invited to stay for a reception following the program.
As director for the Cornell Alliance for Science, Evanega oversees a global communications effort that promotes evidence-based decision-making in agriculture. She is also part of an interdisciplinary team that recently started up an online course on the science and politics of GMOs at Cornell University.
A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that 37 percent of American adults considered genetically modified foods to be unsafe while 88 percent of AAAS scientists had the opposite view.
Evanega points out that as global climate change continues to threaten agricultural systems, particularly in developing countries, crops that are genetically engineered to withstand harsh weather conditions or damage from insects are going to be critical to raising farm productivity and minimizing the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment, as well as addressing global food insecurity as the world’s population continues to expand.
At Cornell, Evanega serves as senior associate director of international programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and holds an adjunct appointment in the section of plant breeding and genetics in the Integrated School of Plant Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from Cornell and received her B.A. degree from Reed College. She has also helped launch AWARE (Advancing Women in Agriculture Through Research and Education), which promotes women in agriculture
More information can be found at cazenoviaforum.com.
