Organic - Worth The Price?

[QuilterMom]

Opting for organic foods - which eliminate the risk of ingesting potentially harmful pesticides - means feeling good about the food you're serving your family. It also can mean a higher grocery bill. Most organic fruits and vegetables cost between 25 to 50 percent more than their conventional counterparts. Why such a higher price tag?
The main reason is that organic foods cost more to produce, says Nancy G. Creamer, Ph.D., director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Several factors drive up the costs that organic producers have to pay. For starters, organic producers substitute conventional chemicals, such as fertilizers and weed killers, with pricier compost. "Compost is a very bulky item, so it costs money to ship and costs more to make versus buying an inexpensive conventional fertilizer," explains Creamer. And since organic producers don't rely on chemicals to do some of the work, their labor costs add up as well. Weeding on a farm also may be done by hand instead of with chemical weed killers.

Also, without conventional chemicals to fall back on, organic producers face an increased risk of losing their livelihood. An organic farmer, for instance, can't tame a pest outbreak with chemicals, so crops may be more vulnerable.

Another area where organic producers typically lay out more cash: administrative costs. Producers have to pay to have their food products certified and must keep detailed records of their work.


Finally, having precious land out of production can be costly for organic farmers. "Many of the practices organic farmers use revolve around crop rotation in order to break pest and disease cycles instead of spraying crops against pests," Creamer says. "The crops they are rotating are used to help retain soil quality, but they aren't ones that are high-value." In other words, these "cover crops" serve an important environmental purpose, but unfortunately they don't bring in big money at market.
The good news for consumers:
In the future, buying organic may have less impact on your pocketbook. "As more research is done and we figure out ways that farmers can produce better, costs may come down," says Creamer.

Meanwhile, knowing that organic products have a more positive impact on the environment can take some of the sting out of the higher prices. "With conventional farming methods, we pay indirectly when we have to clean up a mess later," Creamer says.

To learn more: www.alternet.org

http://www.publix.com/wellness/green...1&childId=1242

[homesteadmamma]

Thanks Kim. I think they are well worth the price. I only wish they would come down in price a bit. I think the more who purchase organic though should help.

Thanks for the article.

[kaykwilts]

I hope the cost of organic comes down. My pocketbook cannot afford it. I do get organic in the summertime when I plant my own garden.

[Valerie in WA]

I've managed to keep our grocery bill reasonable, while eating 75-90% organic, through bulk purchasing. I spend $500/month for a family of four - including junk food, beer & wine, all paper products and the occasionally cleaning product (I don't clean much, if I can help it ).

It's not easy, though and requires careful planning.

Do I think it's worth it? Absolutely!

[SHOPGIRL]

I buy some things organic and probably spend 25% of my grocery budget on organic items.

[forestdale]

I try to use organic, if it's not organic, it's local. I always buy organic meat, not that we eat much meat but for Christmas I bought an organic leg ham and pork. I buy local dairy food, butter, cheese and milk. These aren't certified organic but I see the cows every day and I know they're grazing on open pastures in the sun and they looks healthy. I use to barter my eggs for milk and cream but since I'm sharing my eggs with my son and neighbours now, I buy milk.

I'm making organic quark cheese today so that I don't have to buy one that DH has decided he likes and isn't from our local area.

At the moment I'm buy our vegetables from a local market, most of them are organic and local. For most of the year, I can grow my own organic fruit and veg.

All of my dry goods are organic - flour, pasta, rice, sugar etc. and we use organic toiletries - I make my own soap now, it's brilliant. We use organic shampoo and conditioner from our store, I used to use organic toothpaste but am now using salt and bicarb mix.

I tend to experiment with a lot of things to try to improve my methods and cut my costs but I guess I'd use between 50% - 80% most of the time.

[halo475]

Interesting aside on this subject.

I went to the grocery store today and bought each of my kids a Pink Lady Apple. It was def. an indulgence as they were 1.79 per pound.

I went to the local (very small) health food store just a few doors down the street and their Pink lady apples were 1.70 per pound and organic!!

I never buy produce there, as I cannot afford it, but today caused me to re-think that.

I also bought some yams at the groc. store and one at the health food store. They were comparable in price and I want to check the quality difference when eating them.

But I will check their produce prices from now on first!!