THIS IS AN MLA PAPER. NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN IN MLA
Argumentative Research Essay: Open topic/choice must be food related (4-5 full pages
no counting the WC Page, written in third person, Turn It In submission required)
We never know what the future will bring, but we do know that we will need food. Many of the
authors we look at, identify problems that will remain at the forefront—climate change, global
hunger, and labor injustice, food waste, GMOs, to name a few. They also discuss potential
changes that might lessen the negative impact of food production on the environment and that
might bring food production to the urban centers where food is in short supply. Still, even as we
think of solutions to existing concerns, new problems will inevitably emerge. In fact, the authors
we have read suggest as many questions as they answer.
Here are some to consider: Is the future of food going to be organic? Will it rely on conventional,
industrial approaches? Or will we adopt hybrid approaches? What ethical principles will guide
food policy in the future? What kinds of moral choices will individuals make? Will they see food
choices as moral choices more or less than they do now? What roles will innovative approaches
and new technologies play in feeding the population? Should we focus on futuristic, potentially
expensive, inventions or return to the basics? What roles will corporations and industrial farming
play in the future of food? What roles will small-scale farming and local businesses play? Will
worker justice and the impacts of food production on historically oppressed groups be
considered? Will democracy emerge as a positive force in bringing about food equity? Will
people care more about global hunger in the future than they do now? Will the global hunger
crisis ever become a thing of the past? Will biotechnology like Vertical farming or Hydroponics
change conventional farming?
Drawing on all course readings, documentaries, class discussions, and your own
research, make an argument about a food related issue, and propose a solution to the
problem.
Sources: Five to six credible, reliable, sources.
Helpful essay writing reminders:
Reflect on what we have previously discussed in this course and your own previous work,
keeping in mind the following rhetorical elements:
Purpose: (What are you trying to accomplish?)
Audience/Relationship to the Reader (To whom are you addressing your argument?)
Context: (What are the influencing factors surrounding your argument, for both audience
and you?)
Voice: (What tone are you going to use, to persuade your audience most effectively?)
Your argument should employ one or more of the following three elements of the rhetorical
appeal:
Ethos: Appeals to the character and expertise of the writer or speaker
8
Logos: Appeals based on logic, reasoning, and evidence concerning the subject
Pathos: Appeals to the beliefs and values of the audience
Develop your argument using the methods and techniques discussed in class and your
readings, employing at minimum the use of:
A strong thesis (claim)
Warrants/evidence to support thesis
A strong conclusion
All your claims ought to be fully developed and backed by authoritative sources. Be sure you
cite your sources according to the proper MLA format guidelines. These include:
Direct quotations
Paraphrased statements
