I have to write a 12-page persuasive essay for my college English class. I've chosen to write about Agricultural Subsidies, which is a pretty broad topic, and I want to narrow it down to 3 or maybe 4 points. The ones I'm thinking about now are:
- Subsidies hurt the consumer
- They hurt the animals
- They hurt the farmers themselves
My problem is that the only thing I can think of for hurting the animals is that Subsidies cause corn to be cheaper which in turn leads beef farms to feed their cows corn instead of grass, which can give them E.Coli.
But then that is the only thing I can think of for how it hurts the consumers, because we ingest e.coli infested beef.
So, basically, I can't think of a way to turn that into 12 pages.
Can anyone think of some more ideas? THANKS
My problem is that the only thing I can think of for hurting the animals is that Subsidies cause corn to be cheaper which in turn leads beef farms to feed their cows corn instead of grass, which can give them E.Coli.
But then that is the only thing I can think of for how it hurts the consumers, because we ingest e.coli infested beef.
Actually, feed prices last year (2009) were at an all time high. Corn, wheat and soybeans are still trading high, but are on the down swing right now (still the prices are higher then in recent history). "Cows" get fed corn because they produce more milk on "grains", or if you are talking about butcher animals, they get fat quicker on corn/grains. Maybe you could do a persuasive essay on why grass fed animals are better for you then the traditional grain fed animals. As for the e.coli, all animals carry it in their manure. It only effects the meat if the processing plant is unsanitary. I am a dairy farmer and have been to meetings about cow health and safety. In general grass based programs produce healthier animals, but they take longer to mature or do not produce as much milk as a grain fed animal. I think this could be an interesting topic on why farmers should do more grazing programs. You could discuss different ways of grazing and antibiotic treatment of these animals. Different ways to advertise to bring in more revenue. I know you wanted to talk about subsidies, but really in the farmers world the subsidies are not enough to even put a drop in our buckets so to speak. When dairy farmers are losing thousands of dollars a month, the 8 or 9 hundred dollars the govt. gives isn't even enough to cover our electric bill.
Rachel, you are great! I'm glad you helped, because this is not a strong subject for me. Please check out the EF_Contributor page!
My solution for a problem like this is always to find excellent sources. You activate different parts o your brain when you search databases for articles than when you try to write, so gather up 10 articles right now, before you write anything.
Then, start reading one article after another, and always be ready to write a paragraph about important ideas you encounter.
The articles are the raw material that you transform into your paper!!
:-)
Hey, are you taking HSB4M with ILC? if so how have you done in the past? I havn'e gotten my stuff back yet :(
I think what you need to ask yourself is what type of argument are you making. When you say subsidies hurt the farmer and the consumer, do you mean economically? Or do you mean that they physically hurt the animals, make people ill, etc... I think if you hone in on the argument you are going to make, it will help clarify your points.
For example, if I was going to make an economic argument against subsidies, I would be asking myself questions like:
Do subsidies limit consumer choice?
Do subsidies prevent alternative agriculture that would limit consumer choice?
Do subsidies prevent farmers from developing profitable and sustainable business plans?
Do subsidies discentivize innovation and technology that could make agricultural profitable
Do subsidies benefit a certain class of farmer while leaving others at a disadvantage
Do subsidies limit job growth in the field of agriculture?
Do subsidies give an advantage to foreign competitors?
If you do want to make an economic argument, I would leave the animals out of it. An argument about animal welfare is going to be an appeal to emotions that would not fit well with a discussion of economics.
That said, your other option is to make the emotional argument. You can talk about the health risks posed by subsidies, you can talk about the cruel conditions animals are subjected to.. and you can talk about the farmers (though I don't have an example of how to appeal to emotions on that one)
Personally, the economic argument would be more powerful if I was your intended audience. But, I'm not your audience, so I think you should consider your audience and pick one route or the other.
Good Luck, this sounds like a really interesting topic!
