High price of going organic

I try and buy organic. However, it is pricey, and the fruit is not as pretty :)

It certainly isn't as pretty, but it tastes a great deal better. Our quest and obsession for perfection in appearance has spread into how we choose our food. Shouldn't we base it on taste?

... taste and nutrition - the reason we eat in the first place.

I recall something I read that stated an organically grown tomato has more than 70 nutrients grown in good soil. One that has been grown in conventional farm land with chemicals may contain as few as 4 nutrients, but still look perfect.

Grown your own - it's easy and they taste awesome.

Vote against large housing developers maximizing their profits at the expense of humans and people in general. Vote against high density housing!! - there's no room to grown enough food to sustain a family should you need to.

the american physche treats food as "fuel", rather than something to be savored, therefore price is more important.

it's really too bad people don't understand how important it is to buy organic.

I think that given the oppurtunity everyone should be local.
Organic is just a label and doesn't neccessarily "better overall".
Or if you have the land grow your own.

It upsets me that we live in a nation that feeds its people sub-standard food. Who told "them" to put all that crap in our food anyway?

Until the price of organic food is comparable with non-organic food most people will buy the cheaper, crappier product.

I refuse to pay $6 for a dozen eggs, just because the chicken was kissed and tucked into bed every night instead of crammed into a cage.

Organic food is not an alternative for most people. I don't think it's fair to expect a good many people to spend what little money they do have on organic food. Maybe, instead of preaching the pros of organic food, people need to focus on the negatives--namely, that it costs too damn much for most people to buy on a regular basis.

It amuses me, actually, how pissed off everyone in organic stores look. Next time you go into one, I suggest you check them out. They're all carting around their ten dollar loafs of bread looking very upset. As I tell my partner, "Why are they so upset if they can actually afford to shop here on a regular basis?"

@voyagerfilms.... you got the "70" right, but before your quote hits television, i'd suggest you all google "nutrition organically grown tomato" and read some of the allegedly authoritative sources which say things like this, too...

A recent review, published in the journal Nutrition Bulletin and authored by Claire Williamson from the British Nutrition Foundation, stated that the overall body of science does not support the view that organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown food.

"Organic farming represents a sustainable method of agriculture that avoids the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides and makes use of crop rotation and good animal husbandry to control pests and diseases," wrote Williamson. "From a nutritional perspective, there is currently not enough evidence to recommend organic foods over conventionally produced foods."

other citations such as http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=77947-organ... state things like....

"Mitchell and co-workers report that organic tomatoes contained on average 79 and 97 per cent more quercetin and kaempferol aglycones than conventionally grown tomatoes.

The explanation for these observations was that 'over-fertilisation' of the conventionally grown plants. Flavonoids are produced as a defence mechanism of the plant in response to nutrient deficiency. In the organically grown plants, no fertilisation occurred which was mirrored in increasing levels of the flavonoids over time as the soil fertility decreased."


ah, but that's just me surfing the web, right? remember to "follow the money".... create a demand for "organic food" and business will figure out how to make more money on it than "conventional foods," even if a gas chromatograph couldn't tell the difference.... enjoy.... the prices.

Whenever a new trend is found such as 'go green' the people pushing the idea seem to hold a holier than thou attitude. That seems in conflict with their 'let's make the world a better place' stance...

You know the saying, "They don't make things like they used to!"? Well, some things they do, organic being one of them.

Organic, worth every penny for your families health and the health of the planet!

Worth it checklist:
1. Organic
2. Solar Panels
3. Love
4. Peace


Not worth it checklist:
1. Conventional Agriculture
2. Nuclear Power
3. Hate
4. War

Some great Writing and reading on the Subject "The Omniviours Dilema" and the follow up book. "In Defense of Food". By Michael Pollan. About how the American Culture spends a miniscule percent of their income on food. In Comparison to say European Culture, which can be looked at as a great role model. It is not about eating "Organic"! It is about eating local! Conservation of Energy, Community, and knowing that support brings about change much better than, negative criticisms.

Unfortunately, the term "Organic" has been manipulated to work for Industry. Even though industrial created food products is the whole reason for a movement towards clean and pure food in the first place.

Read "The Omniviours Dilema" and "In Defense of Food" By Michael Pollan-- He is a professior at Berkley, in CA. And was a great journalist for NY Times a little while back.

They are eye opening and really can help with any confusion on this subject. I passed my books on or I would quote something for you.

Remember it is just food. But what is a culture with out food.
If industry had any say in what our culture was it would contain unprenoucable words, in a list a mile long. All ending with numbers in parentheses and sealed with butane.
If it isn't organic or locally grown do you really know what your eating?

the reason i don't buy organic is because i cannot afford it. the prices are absolutely ridiculous.

i dont mind the price, i'd rather be homeless and healthy n happy then malnurished and fat off cheaply produced items.

It's seriously a question of do you want to do your part in fucking up the world.

If you think it's too expensive then you're letting this whole cycle continue.

If you are going for alternatives to convention then you're making a difference.

It's pretty simple.

it's all a matter of lifestyle. there's more to organic food than taste, nutrition, or price. it's about choosing to live (and spend) a certain way.

If people stop buying junk like candy, chips, over processed and prepared foods and soda, they'll be able to eat organic and have money left over in their food budget. They'll also probably spend less on medical and dental bills.

While I do buy organic, there are those out there who simply must buy the cheapest items on the shelves to survive. I know what it's like to struggle, and as much as you want to help, you just can't. Some of the comments above seem to judge those who truly struggle every day to make ends meet. Just because you can afford to buy local and organic should not be an excuse to ignore the fact that we NEED to find ways so that everyone can help. Healthier should not be a premium, it should be a lifestyle even the poor can achieve. What about those who must shop at food pantries? Who in their right mind will donate organic produce? I just think we should think of a solution instead of going strait to saying it's worth the price for a better way of life. Some families truly can't afford our better life, and that's really not what it should be about.

Isn't it ironic that the poorest Americans are obese,as it is easier and cheaper to buy mc'donald's or oreo's as opposed to fresh produce or lean protein.

If there is an upside to the food crisis at all, it will be forcing 1st world nations to rethink their food consumption habits. If we became localvores--eating mostly or entirely locally grown food and supporting the small and mid-sized farms that supply us--it would not be as expensive to get fresh and organic produce and meats. Much of the cost of food is in the fossil fuels used to produce it on such a large scale and ship it all over the world.

The most important thing here is this. First "organic" is a super loose term. Second, its not whether you eat organic or not, its simple just being conscious of what you eat. Obesity comes from a lot of things, laziness, lack of education, and laziness.. hahah. Seriously though, some good points were made here. If you want to know how to fix America, we all need to do these few things. Buy local. Exercise. Research. More than anything you could call it self reliance or really a sense of responsibility.. but thats a whole other conversation.

Another interesting thing about this that people forget how many resources large farms use. Water, Gasoline, Livestock, Grain, etc..

Part of the reason that locally grown or organic foods are more expensive is because demand is relatively low. The higher demand gets, the lower the cost. The price of junk food is low, because demand is high (and demand for it is high, because the cost is low). It's a cycle. We (the American people) have gotten ourselves IN this mess by being addicted to luxury and convenience. Americans buy first their IPODS, cell phones, cars repairs, alcohol, drugs, cold medicine and DVDs BEFORE buying food. And all of you anti-organic buyers are completely neglecting to consider the farmer who cultivated that food. To a small-time local farmer, it means feeding his children if I pay 20 cents extra per pound of bananas. To a giant, environmentally destructive food corporation, me saving that 20 cents means nothing more to them but pure, raw, malicious, dirty profit. If you're a relatively poor person, then I don't mean to offend or disregard you...I mean to tell you to consider a farmer who is just as poor as you, and who struggles the same way you do.

Voyager Films:

I am in favor of small garden plots but I have to be in favor of high density housing because it prevents poorer folks from having to move out to the suburbs, which leads to longer driving times, master planned communities with little ecological awareness, and ultimately an unsustainable growth model--sprawl--for the US.

support your local farmer's market. and meet some cool people in the process, slow down and smell the flowers. although tough to say multiple cities in the USofA are unfortunately not designed for walking even.
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I think it is easier for me (being a single person with no children) to manage about food and prices in comparison to single parents or large families that do worry about the prices and overall spendings for food that really can't afford to spend their 'whole paycheck' at 'whole foods'
*from the link:
"We think about 24% of the population is influenced by the price issue,"
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good find, bdphvb

I'm one of the Americans who can't afford to buy nothing but organic. It's easy to say you'd rather be homeless but it's another thing to actually do it with 3 kids and a 75 year old Mom living with us.

My husband works and I have two jobs. No one in our family is obese and we do buy as much locally grown food as possible which is easier for us than many because we live in an AG area.

Call me silly, but if it comes down to being able to squeeze out the money for bills, gas and rent or buying nothing but organic, heck, I'll take that 2 gallons of milk (which, ironically, if produced locally) for the same price as one organic gallon any day. *shrug*

Local first, organic second, and if you don't have the money, eat whatever you can, feed your children, and educate them.

Our agriculture problem in this nation is one large chunk of many interwoven issues. Our nation was built on the principle of endless growth, back in the days of Adam Smith, and today we are suddenly confronted with the end.

We are confused and angry because we grew up this way, it is our culture, and we feel entitled to it because it is all we know. Things are changing, though, and its time for a new paradigm, and I am thrilled to no end to see the spirit of it here.

I hereby second the notion to read Michael Pollan, and consider the above testimonies, because I have been studying sustainable agriculture and cultural anthropology and I clearly see a link between societies' longevity and their food-ways. Multiple societies throughout human history have built their societies based on surplus food storage, which allows for population booms, until the earth becomes barren and can no longer support that population.

Today is no different, except that there's no shiny new continents to move to and start over. Look at the Maya. They built huge civilizations and yet when the Spaniards showed up, all the great cities were abandoned and in ruins. They over-farmed, built too large of a population to support, and ended up leaving the cities and going back to their original lifestyles.

This is too long now, but I don't mean to say we should all live in the stone age again, just to realize the capacity of our planet, and live and eat accordingly.

going organic does seem to be a luxury, because I'm not seeing results. & for some reason I have an organic towel & zip up jacket. I don't even know why! but I know it wasn't dirt cheap..

I have to say that most organic food is out of my price range as well. I try to focus more on local growers in the area, but can not support myself solely on them.

"Isn't it ironic that the poorest Americans are obese,as it is easier and cheaper to buy mc'donald's or oreo's as opposed to fresh produce or lean protein." posted by:
glabadabadoo
makes a very sad and unfortunate point...

i don't like being denied my basic human right to a ripened banana-- this is why i grow my own. if we band together i'm sure we can form an underground black market for fair organic trade so the corporate dogs can stop complaining about obesity (and hopefully go out of business).

I think it's sad that some of you are dismissive snobs with holier-than-thou attitudes about the organic industry.

Simply put, some people do not have the money to eat only organic food. We don't all have disposable incomes. I try, personally, to eat organic food when I can, but please don't act like you're somehow doing more for the world than I am just because you earn enough money to spend $200 on ridiculously inflated groceries each week.

Organic food looks funny.

I hope to grow my own this summer if it works out...one advantage to living in Maine.

I haven't done it for many years but I am ready for countless reasons.

I am taking $300 of my birthday money to prepare the land and buy starters seeds.

Also-
To find more affordable organic groceries, seek out the local health food store in your area. Independently owned health food shops, or the local Co-Op are the best bet.
The organic section at standard groceries stores is indeed, grossly overpriced. but you can find affordable, healthy produce if you go to the right places!
You can search for them on Yelp.com, or if you live in SF, LA, or NYC, there is a 'green-living' guide called Greenopia, that lists all the independently owned organic grocery stores in your city.

@sueathome.... "It upsets me that we live in a nation that feeds its people sub-standard food. Who told "them" to put all that crap in our food anyway? "

who told the people to keep buying it and eating it?

oh, yeah... you'll blame the makers....

without buyers, there are no makers...

educate the buyers, don't beat the crap out of the makers....

oh, yeah, that's harder, and involves less power over others, doesn't it.... my bad. forget it.