1st Grade Speech Topics


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 [216]   [2013-1 B ] Are current global agricultural practices sustainable?
I don't think current global agricultural practices sustainable. I have two reasons for this; environmental impacts and labor exploitation.
 
[ Some people argue that current global agricultural practices benefit in many ways. The global competition in agricultural business has made produce like crops and vegetables more available and affordable, and the advanced technology has productivity of farming. Despite all the benefits created by industrialized agriculture around the world, I still believe today's global agricultural practices are not sustainable. ]
 
First, current global agricultural practices can increase global warming. Most countries today rely heavily on machinery like tractors for agriculture, which consumes fossil fuels and release carbon dioxide. Similarly, when agricultural produce is exported or imported, the ship transportation requires a large amount of fuel to use, which contributes largely to global warming.
 
Moreover, today's industrialized agriculture can bring up some other environmental issues. In order to mass produce crops and raise productivity, for example, large agricultural corporations expand their business overseas, and clear forests or woodland areas for farming. These practices disrupt habitats of wildlife and accelerate deforestation. Also modern farming methods, which rely on chemicals and fertilizers, can pollute rivers or lakes and smoke from factories contaminates air in the local area.
 
Lastly, large-scale global agricultural practices are profit-oriented, and in order to reduce labor costs, they might exploit the local labor. It's often reported that many farmers are forced to work long hours with low wages. Also, since modern agricultural practices depend largely on machinery, many local people lose their job in agriculture industry and suffer from poverty.
 
For these reasons, I believe current global agricultural practices are NOT sustainable.
 
[ Pros ]
 
1. mass-production
( increased productivity and profitability )
 
2. against poverty
( GM crops / affordable produce )
 
3. free market / fair competition
( the better quality / cheaper produce )
 
[ cons ]
 
1. environmental destruction
( pollution / global warming / land to use for agriculture )
 
2. cheap labor [ labor exploitation ]
 
3. local farmers might lose their jobs
( due to machinery )
 
update:
2024/01/05



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