Why is it that organic foods are more costly than conventional foods, financially or health-wise? Consumers should not be charged a higher price for organically grown foods in order to eat healthier. Choosing to eat foods whether organic or conventional should be equal in cost to the consumer. I won’t go in the direction of the whole paleo caveman thing but when you think about early man or our ancestors consuming foods in its pure, natural, organic state without concern of ingesting potentially harmful chemicals’ or excessive costs, don’t you wonder where things went awry? Prior to the Twentieth Century all food was organic. “Organic” in terms of food, simply means that the product or its ingredients were produced without routine inputs of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, chemical preservatives or irradiated (radiation exposure) (5). Then along came the discovery and invention of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in 1920’s forever changing the costs, development and …show more content…
Read the labels and research their source. Consumers may be aware there is a choice between organic foods and conventional foods but they may not realize exactly what this entails. For instance, facts such as the government having an established limit for safe amount of pesticides and allowed residues used in foods growth process or the USDA’s food safety warning that organic foods' lack of preservatives may make them vulnerable to bacteria and parasites. The question of whether organic foods are healthier for you than conventional foods is yet to be determined as there have not yet been sufficient scientific studies to prove this one way or another. In determining the healthier alternative common sense should come into play. Organic foods are relatively free of herbicides and pesticides which are dangerous to human health, whereas conventional foods are not. Therefore wouldn’t it be logical to avoid these
It has been argued that organic are worthwhile because of nutrition. In paragraph 21, David Lazarus, stated, “What you’re paying for, presumably, is a more healthful diet. That means produce that hasn’t been drenched in pesticides, chicken and beef that hasn’t been pumped full of antibiotics, milk with even more nutritional value.” However, organic food is not worthwhile because of nutrition. “A 2012 study found no real difference between organic and conventional food in terms of nutrition. Its findings appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine”(Cernansky 6). This quote shows that there is no difference between organic and conventional food. If there is no difference between the food then why change the
Economically, regular food is a better option than organic food. Regular food costs significantly less money per pound to purchase than the organic options. A 2015 consumer report shows that the price per pound for regular zucchini was 0.99 cents, while the price for the organic zucchini was $3.99. Both food items are zucchini, but because the second was grown organically it costs a lot more per pound than the one grown regularly. It isn’t practical to pay that much more for organic food, especially since not everyone can afford to pay that much for food, meaning organic is not the best option for everyone. Some people may say that the price for organic food is worth the health benefits, but only the rich can afford to have an organic lifestyle and the upper class can afford to have gym memberships and buy expensive health foods. They can afford to have an overall healthy lifestyle, but for the middle and lower classes, buying organic is not an affordable option. Organic food also costs the United States “at least $100 billion annually” (Lomborg), a lofty amount of money for food whose sales totaled only
Organic foods are no longer only found in health food stores; they have become a mainstay in our supermarkets. Today’s consumers are faced with the decision of whether or not it is worth the cost to buy organic. To determine the answer to this question one will need to determine if it has been scientifically determined that consumption organic food products are more beneficial to one’s health.
First of all, the counter argument needs to be addressed. Many argue that there is not a significant difference between organic and conventional foods. Disagreements often sound like, “There is very little scientific evidence to support any health benefits for organic products” (Andrei). Opponents of organic food have argued that it is too expensive and not at all worth the high price. They state that “Organic has become a synonym for luxury” (Andrei). Many are choosing to eat organic simply because they can afford it. Although organic food is supposedly healthier, “A 2009 meta-analysis…said there was no nutrient difference in organic versus conventional”
Traits of organic food can also be misconstrued in the sense of the ingredients and how it is different from the way processed food is produced. “In reality, certified organics have lower levels of chemical residue, Roethal argues, which is positive for consumers, farm workers and the land itself, but organic growing practices have no impact on how many nutrients, calories or grams of fat are in anyone's favorite foods”(SFGate). As mentioned previously in the quote, often times organic food can benefits one’s health because of the little amount in which chemicals and calories are in the substance. The concern about organic food is that it is substantially more expensive than non-organic food. However,“Organic food sales are increasing by double digits annually, and more than 80 percent of parents reported buying organic food for their families last year”, according to Batch. With the high-price of organic food, this could also be a reason on why people tend to lean more towards the less healthier items, all because of the low cost. Even though there are different and confusing standards on what organic really is, the ideal description would typically be foods that do not have the same producing process as non-organic food.
Over the last few years, awareness of organic food has risen. Due to this, the demand for organic food is a factor which is influencing the farmers to switch to use this technique, and it is being sold in specialty stores and conventional supermarkets. Organic products contain numerous marketing claims that it is healthier, it offers more value, and the farming is more environmentally friendly than traditional foods, so, how does one determine if organic is the way to go? Some argue that there is evidence that supports and demonstrates why organic foods and farming are better overall, while others insist that conventional foods and agriculture can offer the same benefits as going organic. There is no right or wrong answer. Within this
Conclusion – Overall, organic food is worth buying which is healthy for the body and helps the environment. Conventional foods are affordable that last long, and are protected from bacteria and insects. Now that you have information on the two, how would you choose?
A growing number of consumers favor organic foods, claiming that it tastes better and is healthier. Why organic? Organic foods grown naturally in well-balanced soils, ripened by the sun are healthier and tastier than products with synthetic chemicals and growth hormones.
With the sales of organic foods rapidly increasing in recent years, jumping from $1 billion to $21 billion in just eighteen years, it is important for consumers to be well-informed when choosing either organic or inorganic (Bradbury et al, 2014). These products, with labels boasting claims such as no artificial fertilizers or pesticides and the use of ecologically friendly farming techniques, have become somewhat of a trend since their arrival in the early to mid twentieth century. As the public becomes increasingly cautious of what they eat, concern has been growing regarding the adverse health effects of ingestion of pesticides and artificial fertilizers in food products. It is not surprising, therefore, that perceived health
a. Organic foods are totally expensive- if somebody decides to be eating organic foods, s/he must be ready to spend. The main reason behind their cost is their scarcity in the market.
Organic farming began just as the effects of the Great Depression waned in the United States, and has seen a dramatic increase in popularity most recently (AG). The sales of organic food increased by about twenty percent a year throughout the nineteen nineties (Marcus). That is over ten times the rate of increase that conventional food experienced during the same period of time (Harris). As recently as twenty eleven, about seventy-eight percent of American families admitted to routinely purchasing organic food (Organic). Organic food sales jumped from three point five million in nineteen ninety-seven, to thirty-one million in twenty eleven (Organic). However, while organic food may seem better than conventional food, numerous studies have shown that it is not distinguishably more healthful, nutritious, palatable, or safe.
Mitchum, Michelle is an American journalist and author, she writes, reports for news channels and a filmmaker. She states in Organic food, that for the past two decades the consumption of organic food has radically changed, by twenty-five billion dollars from 1996 to 2016. This accumulative grow is a result of people briefs' that organic food free pesticides, chemical and grown in good arable, are healthier form nutrition and health wise than controversially grown food. The subject separates like deadly disease and brings attention to competent health authorities and forced development, processing of conventionally grown foods to be aware of their next move, then the public starts questioning themselves the effect of consuming food that's been grown in an increasing profit method. There are enough researches to prove
The UDSA has no claims saying that organic foods are safer, healthier, or even more nutritious than traditional foods. Furthermore, there is only little research on outcomes of people who is on a strict organic diet. Also although food may be raised organically, some food
With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.
Organic versus non-organic foods are always being debated to whether they are worth the extra cost. This seems to be an easy question, at first, but begs a more in-depth analysis to come to a conclusion. Organic definitions can vary by government, company and even individuals. Many people have their own ideas of what organic means. My personal definition, before this research assignment, was that organic products were grown with no pesticides, chemical additives, or preservatives and grown in a humane way. Meaning that if it said 100% organic, that is what was meant. This however, is not the case when it comes to the government’s definition of organic, according to T. A. Niewold who wrote, “Organic More Healthy; Green Shoots in a