Genetically Modified Foods Speech Essay

SPECIFIC SPEECH GOAL: I would like to increase the audience’s knowledge of genetically modified foods, their history, and the controversy that it involves. THESIS STATEMENT: I want to inform my audience by explaining exactly what genetically modified foods are, as well as, there intended purpose, history, advantages, disadvantages and controversy surrounding them. Introduction I. Before you eat a meal or snack do you ever actually think about where it comes from, what is in it, and how it will affect your body? Most people these days consider eating to be a mindless act, especially when they are so busy with school, work, and other things. They eat foods that are conveniently available with little regard for what is in them. II. I was one of the people up until a few years ago when I started doing some research and came across information I was unaware of. III. Did you know that 80% of the food in our grocery stores is genetically modified in some way, shape, or form? This may be a big deal for some of you or some of you it may not be because you are not fully aware of what this means. IV. In my speech today, I would like to make you aware. I will explain exactly what genetically modified foods are, their purpose, their advantages, their disadvantages, the controversy, and what this means for you. Body I. What are Genetically Modified Foods? A. Genetically modified foods, also go by names such as, genetically engineered foods, or genetically modified organisms, better known as, GMOs. B. The official definition of GMOs is organisms that have been genetically modified by having their genes altered to enhance desirable traits that do not occur naturally to achieve a better organism. Transition Statement: Farmers have been naturally modifying plants and animals for thousands of years through selective breeding and hybridization so what is the purpose of GMOs? II. What is the purpose of genetically modified foods and their history? A. The genetic engineering of foods allows scientist to speed up the processes of moving desired genes from one plant or animal to another. It also is used in an effort to enhance the nutrition and flavor or foods. This process was discovered in 1980. B. Skip ahead to 2004, 8. 25 million farmers in 17 countries produce genetically modified crops. The United States and Canada are the top 2 producers and some of the only countries that do not require the labeling of GMO foods. Transition Statement: So as you can see genetic modification has been around for a while so what is the big deal now? Some people will tell you there are many good reasons for GMOs, while many will give you a very different view. III. The Advantages versus the Disadvantages of GMOs. A. Supporters will tell you that GMOs help produce more nutritious tastier foods, disease and drought resistant plants, increased supply of food to help feed the world, reduced pesticide use, economic and environmental benefits, and reduced energy use. B. Those who oppose GMO’s will tell you the opposite. They say that GMOs are created in a lab with methods totally different from natural breeding methods. The say GMO’s can be toxic, allergenic, or less nutritious, they are not adequately regulated, and they actually increase pesticide use, as well as, create serious problems for farmers. C. Those opposed believe the only ones benefiting from GMO’s are big businesses like Monsanto. Monsanto’s company is the largest producer of herbicides, pesticides and genetically modified seeds. One of the problems that GMOs create actually benefits this company. Nature adapts so plants will becomes resistant to herbicides and pesticides. As a result, toxic herbicide use has increased 15 times since GMO’s were introduced. This means our interaction with these toxins has increased by the same amount. D. While America and Canada stay in the dark about GMO’s, 60 countries around the world have significant restrictions or outright bans of the production and sales of GMOs. E. Whatever side you choose to be on, the main thing that concerns me, and should concern you, is that these plants have never been tested for the safety of human consumption. This means we are all a part of one of the largest scientific experiments around without our consent and without any knowledge of what the outcome may be. Transition Statement: I don’t know about you but that seems a little scary to me. This is why many Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment. IV. Protection, labeling, and what to look for. A. Many polls have been taken and about 60% of people would not eat genetically modified foods if they were labeled. B. The labeling of GMOs is not required in the US. So finding out which foods have them requires a bit of work. C. There are 8 crops currently being genetically modified: Corn, Cotton, Canola, Alfalfa, Hawaiian Papaya, Soy, Zucchini and Summer Squash. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, these crops show up in almost all of our foods in the form of oils or ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and maltodextrins, just to name a few. There are too many to list and they are in pretty much all of the junk foods, processed foods, and frozen foods we eat. They are also in foods such as, bread, yogurt, milk, meats, and baby foods. D. The best ways to avoid GMOs are to buy organic, grow your own garden, read labels, avoid main genetically modified ingredients, buy organic grass-fed meat, stay informed, and do your research. Transitional Statement: I have informed myself with a lot of information about GMOs, a lot more that I have shared in this speech. As you can probably figure out by now, I am one of those Americans that are trying to opt out of the GMO experiment. Conclusion I. Now I feel I have given you the information to be a little more knowledgeable. You should now know about what a GMO is, their purpose, pros, cons, and how to protect yourself should you choose to. II. Do I personally avoid all GMO’s? No. Not from lack of trying, but trying to read every ingredient was and is a very daunting task. What I do try to do is avoid as many as I can. I have altered my diet to avoid most processed foods and I try to check ingredients as best I can. I made all of my daughter’s baby food from scratch with only organic fruits and vegetables, and I make sure most of the snacks I give her are GMO free. III. We vote with our dollar and the only way we can make this an easier task is by refusing to buy the foods with genetically modified ingredients and lobbying for our government to require labeling so we can make the choice easily if we want to buy genetically modified foods or not. References GMO Facts. (2013). Retrieved October 14, 2013, from the Non-GMO Project website: http://www. nongmoproject. org/learn-more/ Caplan, A. L. (2013). Genetically Modified Food: GOOD, BAD, UGLY. Chronicle of Higher Education, 60(2), B4-B5. Examining Genetically Modified Food. (2013). Retrieved October 14, 2013 from the For Dummies website: http://www. dummies. com/how-to/content/examining-genetically-modified-food. html Genetically Engineered Foods. (2012, July 05). Retrieved October 6, 2013 from the University of Maryland Medical Center website: http://umm. edu/health/medical/ency/articles/genetically-engineered-foods PsycheTruth. (2012, October 5). GMO Food, How To Tell, Truth About Genetically Modified Foods & Label GMO Psychetruth Nutrition. Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=3HYNBY5IKAQ&feature=share&list=PLvP8YsX0ebXaunR4wgSHJdKHPzpQCtgsx.