May the Force be with You!
My essay is about organic food. I found a lot of disturbing research about the impact corporate companies are having on the organic food industry. These companies are trying to gain a piece of the organic food industry’s profit by creating mass-produced “organic” foods and by lowering industry standards. While this is true, I argue for the consumption of organic items, because they have many benefits. Organic food is generally healthier, contains far fewer pesticides, and the methods used to produce organic items are better for the environment and promote sustainability. I encourage consumers to purchase a mix of organic and local ingredients and to be an educated consumer when shopping for organics in order to combat corporate influence.
For this essay I used a few articles from the packet we were given when Ed Lachowski came to visit. I also found many articles through EBSCOhost. My essay is formatted a bit differently than one would expect, since I introduce my counterargument right after providing a definition for organic. I then spend the rest of my essay combating the counterargument I established. My essay is a combination of an arguing the position essay and a possible solutions essay.
I used several sources in my essay. I used a few journal articles which provided intensive information about organic food and the issues with corporate influence on the organic food industry. I also used some shorter articles from magazines like Better Nutrition which gave information about the benefits of organic food and ways to combat corporate influence.
I learned quite a bit when writing this essay, considering that when I began the writing process for this essay I barely knew the definition of organic. Now I understand what organic means and the dangers and benefits arising from the organic industry. I think the most important thing I learned was that organic is not a hopeless cause. It is possible to reap the benefits of consuming organic despite the influence from the corporate sector if one shops carefully and also consumes locally produced organics.