400 works english essay MLA format due tomorrow

Research Paper

Pick any food item that you would normally purchase. It can be produce, meat, or a packaged food. Your assignment is to find out as much as you can about this food product in particular about the environmental and social impacts of its production.

If you chose a manufactured, prepackaged item, identify the ingredients that go into making it (usually listed on the package). Try to learn what functions they play in the product (why there are there). Next pick the main ingredients and learn more about each.

Attempt to identify the source of the food product. For many products, you will not be able to trace the particular item to a particular farm where it originated (but for some you might). If not, try to be as specific as possible, perhaps identifying the state or country of origin. Now try and learn more about the that particular food production

What must happen for this product to be available to you? What kind of national or international infrastructure must exist?

As you learn more about the product and its origins, investigate the packaging or promotional materials associated with the product (such as advertisements, or company websites).

If the product makes any claim on its packaging such as “organic”, “natural”, “gluten free” or “kosher,” learn what do they mean. Do they have any legal definitions.

You may also pick a food stuff that purchased directly from its producer, form a farmers’ market or similar. In this case, arrange for an interview with someone at the farm and obtain information about their food producing practices, again focusing on the environmental and labor aspects.

Use the kind of investigation and analysis as done by the authors of The Ethics of What We Eat and other readings and videos we have examined in class.

When appropriate, make reference to concepts we have studied in class such as: externalities, tragedy of the commons, environmental justice, cornucopia view of nature, carrying capacity, biodiversity and others.

As you are researching your topic, make sure to notice that much information in the debates is provided by organization with strong agendas for example animal abuse prevention groups, or trade associations. This does not make this information wrong, but it is important to be aware of the author and how their particular interests may shape the information they present. Try to identify multiple sources and evaluate the evidence that they present.

Include images of the foodstuff whenever appropriate.

Proposal requirements :

· Identify the food item you will be researching.

· In 300-500 words outline what you think will be some of the issues you will research in your paper.

· Include a bibliography of at least 5 sources you will use for your paper (I don't care which stylesheet you use, as long as you provide all relevant citation information and stay reasonably consistent)