IndexThesisLogosPathosEthosThesisScott Canon addresses these issues throughout the essay to show how complex and ethically confusing our food choices have become and how conflicted we are about to make those choices. The closest thing to a thesis statement is this sentence: “In the global village of 21st century food production, what you eat constitutes a political statement.” Originally published for the Seattle Times in 2005, Canon's message remains timely. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The audience for this article will likely be both those who are already interested in contemporary food issues and those who are not but are intrigued by the title, which may seem like an exaggeration to the uninformed. Considering that Seattle is a fairly progressive region, readers of this newspaper are likely to be sympathetic to the idea that we should do what we can to fight climate change and promote social justice with our consumer dollars. Considering that Canon strives to cover both sides of the many food controversies he cites, it is likely to appeal to even the most conservative readers. Logos Go beyond price to find out how much food really costs in terms of human rights abuses and environmental damage, Canon creates solid appeal for Logos by modeling how well-intentioned consumers make decisions based on limited information. For example, Canon cites granola as a food that many believe to be healthy, but then reveals a little-known fact: Most oats in this country are imported: new, more subsidized, short-season soy varieties have eliminated the oats from the acres in the world. Upper Midwest. So if that granola isn't certified organic, its oats were likely grown in countries with less stringent labor standards and are more likely to contain traces of pesticides banned in the United States. It covers complex issues such as the impact of imported and farm-raised shrimp and Despite McDonald's surprisingly progressive policies, Canon provides numerous examples of how difficult it is for consumers to realize the full impact of certain foods and what it means to continue with such practices. Canon also uses numerous statistics to reinforce the attractiveness of its logos, although some of its mentions are very brief or absent. For example, it states: “Government research shows that in 1930 Americans spent an average of 21.2 percent of household income on food. Today, that percentage is 6.1%, the lowest in the world,” but he doesn't cite an actual study. On the other hand, Canon makes an effort to cite relevant experts on both sides of any controversy, and includes enough of them to suggest where their loyalties (and therefore their biases) might lie. For example, he quotes Dennis Avery, cited as director of the Center for Global Food Issues (CGFI), to point out that "'We haven't given high-yield agriculture enough credit for high-yield,'" but notes that it is the author of Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic and that his CGFI is “supported by agribusiness”. In contrast, Canon also quotes Ben Lilliston, a member of the “Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a group that sees itself as an advocate for small, family farms,” who says, “This global food system has been a great boon for agribusiness, but it hasn't been a boon for farmers at all. 'Both here and in developing countries, there are fewer of them every day..
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