EXAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPHS FOR A PERSUASIVE RESEARCH ESSAY

One of the most concerning facts about imported produce is the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables. Major banana companies, for example, use a pesticide called Chlorpyrifos, which is put into plastic bags and then placed over the banana fruits as they grow. While the pesticide itself is not harmful to humans because it does not penetrate the tissues of the banana fruit, the bags are disposed of in open-air landfills where they poison the water and get blown into the ocean where they are mistaken for jellyfish and eaten by sea turtles (McCraken). Unless produce is organically grown, it doubtlessly has been treated with pesticide; however, the EPA and FDA estimate that excessive pesticide residues are found on about 3% of domestic and 6% of foreign produce nearly twice the amount of those grown here in the United States (Pizzarono). Dr. Ryan Galt at the University of California at Davis found 12 of 15 pesticides used on squash, and 5 of 47 on chayote [a gourd vegetable that is eaten like potatoes] were not registered for use on foods in the U.S (Galt 2009). Furthermore, between 1996 and 2006, 1.6 percent of domestic crops violated pesticide safety standards in FDA inspections, while imported crops earned violations at 2.25 times that rate (FDA 2008). While it is not like the entire foreign crop is contaminated with life-threatening chemicals, the fact that foreign produce does contain higher amounts of it than its domestic counterparts signals a problem. Perhaps the root of the pesticide problem lies with the fact that workers on fruit and produce plantations in Central and South America are low-paid, Spanish-speaking workers who are not taught proper handling of the chemicals or who can understand information in English about US pesticide standards. In his book Roots of Rebellion: Land and Hunger in Central America, Tom Barry chronicles how the majority of the accidental poisonings that occur on plantations are partially due to a lack of safety instruction and equipment, and that many workers cannot read the handling instructions because they are either illiterate or unable to read the English labels (Barry 171). Nor do the major growers seem to have much concern for their workers health and safety. The major company Dole, for example, during the 1970s used the chemical DBCP in such excessive amounts that it caused thousands of workers to become sterile. Today, men are still claiming lawsuits against the company, the last of which was in 2007 (Workers). Plantation overseers claimed that such excesses were necessary, because then, just as today, American consumers want a perfect product. The New England Health Advisory writes that a Mexican farmer stated that because Americans want blemish free produce and wont eat items with insect marks, they spray four times as much pesticide on any produce destined for the U.S. than for any other location (Pols). American produce companies who rely on foreign workers to cultivate and harvest crops have a responsibility to make sure their workers are trained properly, work in safe environments, and receive proper training; the safety of the worker should come before the quality of the product.