Persuasive Speech: Why We Should Abandon Genetically Modified Food
Persuasive Speech: Genetically Modified Food We all enjoy a cold glass of milk with homemade cookies, a refreshing pop on a hot summer day, and a juicy cob of corn in the summer months. But, do we ever wonder what is really in our food? Because genetically modified foods do not have to be labeled, you will likely never know if the food you are consuming is genetically modified. As a fellow member of the Organic Consumers Association, I am eager to inform you of why genetically modified food is an issue that we must work to minimize or perhaps even abolish. I am excited to present this information to you, hopefully expanding your knowledge of genetically modified food. I hope that this conference will allow us to broaden our ideas of how to stop the wave of genetically modified foods that is sweeping our nation. With genetic engineering, transferring genes from one species’ DNA to another is just like taking a page out of one book and putting it between the pages of another book. Biotech food is not the answer to global food security, should be strictly regulated because of its various detrimental effects on human health and the environment, and humans should be educated about the food they are consuming. When genetically modified foods were first introduced approximately twenty years ago, many saw it as the answer to world hunger. People argued that “by developing pesticide and herbicide resistant crops, farmers would be able to increase their yields and decrease their costs” (Suzuki). Instead of answering the world’s increasing hunger problem, bugs and weeds have grown to become resistant to the widespread applications of chemicals. It is a cycle: “more spraying means more cost to farmers, more damage to the environment, and more health concerns” (Suzuki). Companies that produce genetically engineered seeds, like Monsanto, claim that GM foods are necessary if the world’s food supply is to keep up with population growth. If this was the case, Monsanto and other
Cited: "Labeling." Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, n.d. Web. 10 July 2013. Mellon, Margaret, and Jane Rissler. "Environmental Effects of Genetically Modified Food Crops". Union of Concerned Scientists. Union of Concerned Scientists, 12 June 2003. Web. 10 July 2013. Mount, Rachel. "Genetically Modified Foods Affect Health and Body”. Oprah.com. O, The Oprah Magazine, May 2012. Web. 10 July 2013. Robbins, John. The Food Revolution. Berkeley, CA: Conari, 2001. Print. Suzuki, David. "Understanding GMO". The David Suzuki Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2013. "10 Reasons Why We Don 't Need GM Foods". Nation of Change. N.p., 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 July 2013.