Topic Proposal

As consumers walk throughout the aisles of their favorite grocery stores, they are unaware that common products that they are browsing and purchasing contain ingredients that are derived from genetically modified organisms. The genetic engineering of these products can be considered hazardous to human health and the environment. The most commonly altered organism is corn, which is bred to express the genes of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. These crops can produce proteins that are active against certain insects, therefore producing a natural insecticide. However, companies that manufacture items containing this crop are not required to specify on the labels that these products have the genetically modified organisms in them.
My paper will argue that companies that manufacture goods containing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene should be required to declare on the labels of their products that the corn was bred with the (Bt) gene. I will provide background information on the Starlink corn industry, as well as the potential health hazards of this crop. I will discuss the growing evidence of the GMOs in products, and the use of products with GMOs in a major fast food corporation. I will explore the protests that are leading to companies to label their products, and I will also research laws in other countries that require the companies to label their products.
The audience will be my classmates and teacher. However, some students may, themselves, be unaware of this situation, so I plan to provide background information as well as a persuasive argument that will support my opinion on this issue.

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