GRE Argument An international development organization in response to a vitamin A deficiency among people in the impoverished nation of Tagus has engineered a new breed of millet high in vitamin A While seeds for this new type of millet cost more farmers

To address a vitamin A deficiency among people of tagus, an international organization has engineered a new breed of millet high in vitamin A. The author claims that the government should do everything to promote the new type of millet to combat vitamin A deficiency. To strengthen this claim the author gives two reason: though the cost of the seed is higher the farmers will get subsidy and people will readily accept the new type of millet as millet is already a staple food in tagus. However, having considered the reasons carefully, several fallacies are found.

First, any new breed of food or new type of medicine needs testing before it can be applied or promoted to people. The test is needed to see if there is any adverse effect on the consumer, be it immediate or long-term. Before having an assurance that the new type would not pose any danger on its consumer, allowing the new type of food to be consumed by people is not a wise act. Here, in the argument, there is no indication that a field test has been performed in a locality and results have been found that the new type does not have any bad effect on the consumer's health. Before getting such assurance, the government should not take step to promote the new type of millet.

Second, the author claims that the millet will be readily accepted by the people because millet is already a staple food in Tagus. However, this is not a sound reason. Was there any survey among people about the acceptance of the new type of millet? the new type may vary in taste and people may not like the test more than that of already existing type of millet. If this is the case - which is not impossible - the claim that people will readily accept the new type is not validated.

Third, every type of seed have an effect on soil. The new breed of millet might have adverse effect on soil; it can make the soil inappropriate for growing another type of food for next one or two year. We do not have enough information in the the argument that this adverse effect would not result from the new type of millet seed. Certainly the government should not allow to plant the seed of new type of millet if there is a probability that it would do harm to soil.

Fourth, before being determined to do everything to promote the new breed of millet to fight the vitamin A deficiency, the government should inquire whether there are other cheap natural foods enriched in vatamin A that the people are in habit of consuming. In this case, just changing the food effect can fight vitamin A deficiency successfully.

To some up, though promoting a new breed of millet enriched in vitamin A seems a good solution to address the deficiency of vitamin A, the government should consider its justification. There are holes and lack of data in this argument supporting the new breed of millet. There are some assumptions too which might be false. These problems should be resolved before making a firm decision.