Major Essay – Step 2

Once they have completed their preliminary research, students are expected to develop an essay outline. This outline will clearly state their thesis, supporting points, and related evidence.

Students should use their Step 1 document to formulate their thesis and supporting points. Additionally, they should draw heavily on the research from Step 1 to support their arguments.

Please refer to the resources on the Westgate website for additional guidance in developing a clear and sophisticated thesis. Above all, your thesis should present a meaningful argument.

Important instructions:

-  Your outline should be 2-3 pages in length

-  Your essay outline must include 7 sources, and 2 peer-reviewed sources

-  Your essay outline must include MLA in-text citations and a Works Cited

§  Make sure that there is a citation after EVERY piece of evidence

-  Use the exemplar and resources on the Westgate website. If you are unsure about your thesis or supporting points, please ask for feedback.

-  Please incorporate feedback from Step 1

-  While the outline is currently structured for three supporting points, students are not bound to this structure. They may include more points or break key ideas into sub-points.

Thesis statement: The fear of genetically modified crops is irrational.
Supporting point #1: Contrary to popular belief, GMOs are perfectly safe for human consumption.
Evidence for point #1:
-Eighty-eight percent of scientists say that GMOs are perfectly safe, yet two thirds of Americans believe them to be dangerous. (Parrett)
-The GMO foods and crops currently on the market have brought no documented risks. (Paarlberg)
- GMO studies conducted by many major agencies have shown the same results: all uses of biotechnology in agriculture, as well as the products currently available for sale are perfectly safe. (Hall)
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 2016 report reviewed 900 studies that spanned over the 20 years of GMO use. They declared there was “no substantiated evidence of a difference in risks to human health between current commercially available genetically engineered crops and conventionally bred crops.” (Hall)
-“In fact, every major scientific body and regulatory agency in the world has reviewed the research on GMOs andopenly declaredcrop biotechnology and the foods currently available for sale to be safe.” (Hall)
- “The reality is that today’s GE products are the most researched and tested agricultural products in history.” (Hall)
- GE crops are no more dangerous than non-GE crops. In some cases, GE crops are actually safer and better for consumption in comparison. (Paarlberg)
-There has never been a single documented case of an adverse reaction to a GMO. (Atkinson 111)
Supporting point #2: Despite the fear of the corporations who run the GMO market, the implementation of GM crops in developing countries benefits both citizens and farmers.
Evidence for point #2:
- Transgenic crops can alleviate malnutrition by yielding larger crop sizes and produce with higher nutritional value. (Komparic)
- In its natural state, maize produces seed packets no bigger than your thumb. Its genetically modified equivalent produces fat ears of corn. (Atkinson 110)
- “Genetically Engineered Crops are an opportunity that would improve agricultural productivity, increase income and decrease hunger and poverty.” (Falck-Zepeda, Gruère and Sithole-Niang 2)
- Many African farms have been analyzed to determine whether the adoption of GE crops has an overall negative or positive influence. So far, the adoption has been profitable to its users. (Falck-Zepeda, Gruère and Sithole-Niang 3)
- Bt cotton has been adopted in many African countries. As it grows, it creates its own toxins, becoming a natural insecticide. It is cost-saving and environmentally friendly. Studies show larger yields and a decrease in pesticide spending after the adoption of Bt cotton. Smallholder farmers reported a yield increase of 41% after adopting Bt cotton. (Falck-Zepeda, Gruère and Sithole-Niang 28-29)
- After analyzing who gains the most from Bt technology, it was discovered that despite the high technology fee, farmers gained majority of the additional benefits generated by the introduction of this new technology. The use of Bt cotton contributed to an additional $21 million dollars of farm income in South Africa. (Falck-Zepeda, Gruère and Sithole-Niang 31-32)
Supporting point #3: In reality, the risk of neglecting to implement GM crops outweighs the risk of their use.
Evidence for point #3:
-It’s estimated that millions of people will die from climate change. Experts say that some of these millions are going to starve. (Finz)
- United Nations has stated that global food production will have to double by the year 2050. Between then and now, there will most likely be a decrease in arable land. (Parrett)
- With poverty in its current state, it’s often been suggested that African countries must adapt to the use of GMOs. In their climate, they often experience droughts, which have a negative effect on their yields. (Komparic)
- “In Africa, however, where farmers are not yet productive and where so many consumers are not yet well fed, the potential gains GMO crops can provide are more costly to do without.” (Paarlberg)
-The discovery of a new tool, CRISPR-cas9, will simplify the process of genetic modifications with the ability to easily replace genes, or turn them on or off. This discovery is expected to revolutionize the world of GMOs, creating a second Green Revolution, which should help feed our growing population. (Parrett)
-A notable advance is the creation of rice that has the ability to photosynthesize much faster than its natural counterparts, creating a larger yield sooner.
- NERICA (New Rice for Africa) is a highly yielding crop that doesn’t need marshy paddies, perfect for Africa’s dryness. (Atkinson 114)
-Golden Rice is a variety of rice modified to produce its own vitamin A. It has the potential to save up to 2.8 million children a year from blindness and a million from death. For over twenty years, it sat in labs, unused. (Parrett)
- Scientists have been developing methods to introduce pharmaceutical properties into plants. This innovative solution would protect against disease in poverty-stricken areas of the world. (Atkinson 114)
-“Regulators, by failing to approve more GMOs, are wasting one of the best tools modern agriculture has for fighting climate change, growing more with less, and making more affordable food.” (Finz)
-“If we can’t feed the world, it will eventually feed on us.” (Parrett)
-The use of GM crops has saved entire species from extinction. When an outbreak of the ringspot virus left papaya plants near-extinct, the use of biotechnology allowed the plants to be engineered to resist the virus, saving the papaya plant. (Finz)

Works Cited

Atkinson, William I. "The High-Tech Menu." Heintzman, Andrew and Evan Solomon. Feeding the Future. Toronto: House of Anansi Press Inc., 2006. 98 - 123.

Falck-Zepeda, José Benjamin, Guillaume P. Gruère and Idah Sithole-Niang. Genetically Modified Crops in Africa. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute, 2013.

Finz, Stacy. "GMOs: Research Says They'll Help End Starvation, but Americans Remain Wary." California Magazine, Cal Alumni Association (2014).

Hall, Kate. "Yes, GMOs Are Safe." 20 May 2016. Forbes. 17 March 2017 <https://www.forbes.com/sites/gmoanswers/2016/05/20/gmos-are-safe/#3e4e129f223d>.

Komparic, Ana. "The Ethics of Introducing GMOs into sub- Saharan Africa: Considerations from the sub- Saharan African Theory of Ubuntu." Bioethics November 2015: 604-612.

Paarlberg, Robert. "GMO Foods and Crops: Africa's Choice." New Biotechnology 30 November 2010: 609-613.

Parrett, Tom. "GMO Scientists Could Save Us All from Hunger, If We Let Them." Newsweek Global 29 May 2015: 26-31.