Most of us want to feed our families and ourselves healthy, chemical free food. We browse the aisles of the grocery store and grapple with the fact that quite often our organic products are at a higher price than the conventionally and often visually identical counterparts. We know organic is worth it, but why does organic food often cost more?

There are many factors that are reflected in the price.

• Organic farming is more labor intensive. Because it does not rely on the application of toxic synthetic pesticides, farmers must use more traditional methods like picking weeds by hand to keep their fields healthy. This additional labor and management costs money.

• Organic agriculture is not subsidized to the same extent as conventional agriculture. Conventional agriculture is heavily subsidized through taxes; therefore you are paying for a portion before you actually purchase the product.

• Organic agriculture is typically operated on a smaller scale. Organic farming  promotes crop rotation and soil health- letting a portion of the land lie fallow means it is not constantly producing. Because of this, and other reasons, distribution and sales of organics is not as vast, therefore the industry cannot take advantage of economies of scale.

• Organically produced foods must meet strict regulations for certification and the USDA seal of approval. Certification itself and the labor involved can be expensive.

So why is it worth it?

• Organic agriculture methods promote biodiversity, the biological cycling of nutrients, and plant and animal health.

• Organic farmers do not use toxic synthetic pesticides, hormones to hasten animal growth and increase production, genetic modification or genetically modified feed, or artificial fertilizers. Instead, they use management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance soil health and ecosystem integrity.” The extra costs are an investment toward the future and the health of our families.

According to the Organic Trade Association , “there is mounting evidence that if all the indirect costs of conventional food production—cleanup of polluted water, replacement of eroded soils, costs of health care for farmers and their workers—were factored into the price of food, organic foods would cost the same or, more likely, be cheaper.” We are just learning about what the harmful effects pesticides have on our bodies. It is too soon to tell what health care costs will be associated with all of the chemical exposure. Buying organic is certainly worth it.

 Sources:

www.ota.com

www.organic-center.org