Argument Outline

Thesis: Although biotechnology companies have posed a solution for “world hunger,” GM foods have not proven to be healthy to humans. With such little evidence to show their safety, they should not be used to feed humans until further testing has been done.

I. Introduce to the audience the methods used to alter genes of different species

A. transgenic plantation

B. beneficial claims

II. This paragraph will talk about the lack of research there is on GM foods and make the assumption that biotechnology companies are hiding the negative effects from the public.

A. Biotech Companies do not allow for independent studies

B. Why can’t we study what we eat?

III. Appealing to the audience is going to be the goal here in revealing that two-thirds of the food that is sold in the stores has GM ingredients in them. How can we continue to eat foods that have not been proven to be healthy? Are we okay with simply eating whatever poison is put in front of us?

A. Appeal to logos on why we would eat something we have no idea what it really is

IV. Reveal how genes that produce toxins are put into plants. When we eat these plants, we are not only eating those unhealthy toxins, but the genes can also alter ours.

A. Bt gene is put into crops to fight off insects

B. We are eating toxin producing genes that could potentially be harmful

V. Studies done on animals

A. Studies done on female and male rats and livestock have shown to mutations to their reproductive systems and the cause of infertility.

VI. Pose the idea that by altering the genes of the food we eat, we are altering our own genes. By eating something that is meant to kill off something else we will end up killing ourselves.

A. If we cannot prove that GM foods are healthier, how do we know that they aren’t killing us?

VII. Make the claim that biotechnology companies are controlling what we eat with their monopolizing growth in our economy. Eventually everything we eat is going to be altered with who knows what. In order to stop this we need to support local markets, grow our own food, etc.

A. Monsanto nearly owns the entire corn market and controls the prices

B. Support local businesses to keep them from monopolizing with altered foods

VIII. Conclude that we can make a difference in a few different changes in our lifestyle. Nothing gets changed without individual change, so we can either submit to a monopolizing biotechnology company, or we can be healthy contributors to not only ourselves but to our economy as well.