Organic Food - The Business of Eating Healthy

Organic Food – The Business of Eating Healthy

 

For years people have been looking for organic food because it is usually far more nutritious and more flavorful.  Also, and probably most importantly, organic foods do not contain pesticides and fertilizers which can be harmful to one’s health.  Unfortunately, in order to remain economically viable, farmers to resort to producing high yields to keep prices low.  To have a greater crop yield, most large fruit and vegetable farms resort to using pesticides and fertilizers.

Bill Ebbesen

It is also well known that pesticides and fertilizers are harmful to the environment.  In most cases, these chemicals find their way into the water table and cause damage to wildlife and their habitats.  Some famers have started to work fruit and vegetables that are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) to reduce their use of harmful chemicals.  Sadly, these GMOs can still be harmful to the environment because of the extremely effective tendency to leach nutrients from the soil.

Though most consumers want to purchase organic foods, they may not be able to afford to do so.  Steffani Nguyen, owner of Decadence Baked Goods says “organic ingredients are more expensive, comparatively speaking, and subsequently, the price of ingredients will affect the price of the baked goods as a whole.”  Organic foods are expensive for two main reasons.  First, without fertilizers many of the fruits and vegetables are not able to create the large and unnatural yield, which means that there is a price premium associated with a short supply and high demand.  Next, without pesticides some of the fruits and vegetables will succumb to the natural effects of insects and other pests.

Liz West

Thankfully, with the use of new greenhouse techniques and large scale organic farming, the availability of organic foods has increased.  Prices are especially low if consumers purchase their organic items from large chain stores.  Some of these include Costco, Whole Foods, and Metropolitan Market.  Also, with the demand of organic food increasing every day, the incentive for farmers to invest in organic farming techniques will increase as well.