In Organic We Trust

The taste of the processed chicken from my elementary school cafeteria remains imbedded in my memory. I can still taste the chunks of chicken that could not be broken up by my teeth, and the tired, lazy feeling I had walking back to my next class. This is the exact situation organic farmer and producers are trying to avoid by making healthy products. The documentary, In Organic We Trust, attempts to persuade the viewers that organic products create a healthy lifestyle, and improve living conditions for people all over the world. Kip Pastor’s use of ethos and logos in his documentary are strong and provide supporting evidence, however, Pastor is lacking an abundant amount of pathos. Pastor incorporates logos into his documentary by allowing the audience to experience a multitude of facts and supporting evidence. Ethos is used in the film through Pastor’s interviews with professionals, and pathos is shown by the touching stories of individuals.

Pastor’s strongest rhetorical technique is the use of logos. The viewers are provided with an abundant amount of facts and knowledge that help to support Pastor’s point of view. The video attempts to persuade readers to eat organic, and this goal is accomplished by providing evidence that processed food creates an unhealthy lifestyle. For example, Pastor notes that there has been a 150% increase in obesity, causing a shorter lifespan. Pastor also provides statistics such as one American every five minutes dies of obesity, and one out of three people get diabetes. These facts are meant to get the viewers attention, and cause them to think twice before they eat fast food. These logos are effective because they are able to make a huge statement, screaming to the viewers that lives are in jeopar...

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...ocessed, un-chewable food from their childhood. Pastor uses logos best by providing to the viewers many facts that support his point of view. These facts ranged from effects on the human body to the environment, all supporting that organic food is healthy. Ethos was also used effectively by incorporating interviews with professionals. Pastor was able to gain respect and authority because he has done his research on the topic. Lastly, pathos was used in the documentary to appeal to the emotions of the audience. Pastor accomplishes this by interviewing people who have touching stories involving the issue of healthy eating. Pastor effectively uses rhetorical technique to convince the audience that organic food is the healthy choice, leaving the viewers with only one thought to consider: Why not go organic?

Works Cited

In Organic We Trust. Dir. Kip Pastor. 2012. DVD.