Organic fruits and vegetables are almost always more expensive than conventionally grown produce. According to a study of 17 organic products, organic foods can be between 7% and 82% more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. For certain foods, the increase in the price of organic products was significant, but for others, buying organic products did not mean as big an increase in cost as you might think. And for some items, it didn't make any difference.
In the end, organic foods turned out to be approximately 21% more expensive than non-organic foods, but only 10% more expensive if meat is excluded from the equation. The MOFGA Public Policy Committee will use this data to continue researching opportunities to offer organic options to recipients of nutrition assistance for women, infants and children (WIC) in Maine. However, organic crops are handled and shipped in smaller quantities, as organic farms tend to produce less, and this translates into higher costs. Certain foods, such as green leafy vegetables and products with soft skin, are more likely to absorb chemicals and therefore buying organic products may be the right decision.
Organic producers rely as much as possible on natural substances and cultivation methods that are physically, mechanically or biologically based. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, organic feed for livestock and other animals can cost twice as much as conventional feed. While it is generally thought that the prices of organic foods are higher than those of their non-organic counterparts, in reality the opposite is true. Because crop rotation reduces the frequency with which organic farmers can produce profitable crops, they cannot produce the larger quantities that are more profitable for conventional farmers.
Organic farmers could compare their prices when selling directly to consumers with those in grocery stores to counter the common argument that farmers' market prices are high. FAO believes that, as demand for food and organic products increases, technological innovations and economies of scale should reduce the costs of producing, processing, distributing and marketing organic products. They found a wide range of differences, from 10 percent less for organic brown rice to 134 percent more for organic ground beef. Huge demand has made organic food cheaper and easier to find in recent years, and the price gap between organic and non-organic foods is smaller than ever.
In developed countries, uncertified organic foods are often sold directly to consumers through programs that support local communities, such as checkout systems, farmers' markets and at the farm door. In an economy that is slowly recovering from a recession, that's a price that many Americans can't afford, even though most of them would prefer to buy organic products. Conventional farms have the farmland and the supply to keep costs down, as manufacturers can reduce costs when they produce a product in large quantities. Whether motivated by the benefits for their own health or by the health of the environment left in the hands of future generations, an educated consumer who cares about the benefits of organic agriculture will buy organic products wherever possible.
Because organic farmers don't use them, their losses are greater, which costs the farmer more and increases the cost to the consumer. .
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