Katyyyyy

Katyyyyy

Katy Mittel
Professor Glende
First Year Writing
September 29, 2011
Review Essay
“How did global food prices rise to record levels so quickly and become so devastating? 123 members of the United Nations and at least 23 international organizations adopted to improve living conditions in the world’s poorest countries (Katz 794).” Solomon H. Katz, author of the article The World Food Crisis: An Overview of the Causes and Consequences, summarizes how to solve the food crisis and suggests how anthropologists might help increase the world food systems.
In order for Katz to accurately portray the main idea of the article, he had to use evidence, rhetorical strategies, and writing style. Ethos and pathos assist the audience (anthropologists) to fully understand the persuasive points being made about the food crisis. The rhetorical strategy, ethos, is the trustworthiness of the writer. Soloman H. Katz is a professor of anthropology. He is also a fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics; editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Food and Culture and chair of the AAA’S Task Force on World Food Problems. Knowing the background of the author is an effective persuasive strategy because when we believe that he knows what he is talking about, we are more willing to listen to what he has to say. Pathos is when you accept a claim based on how it makes you feel without analyzing the rationale behind the claim—the emotional appeal. The picture on page 796 has a picture of an irate Hispanic man holding corn with the caption saying, “Soaring U.S. Corn prices led to street protests in Mexico.” This picture is relatable to readers because one might have had a similar situation where the outcome is unfair and there is no solution.
The developments of the twenty-first century helps understand the first world food crisis. Population increase due to public health measures and improvements in agricultural productivity, created rural to urban migration. Katz states,...