Posted by Anonymous on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
Why are organic food items expensive? They are not using chemicals. I would think they would be less expensive
Posted by yabbitgirl on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Apr 2006 · 14266 posts
Here in Europe, it is definitely all about the marketing! Yes, there are trustworthy organic shops and sources, but just this summer there was a scandal in Britian when it was discovered that plain old factory-produced eggs were being marketed as "organic" and distributed to the large supermarkets in the UK. Over the last 2-3 yrs the superstores have jumped on the "organic" bandwagon, and I have learned that the best translation of the term "organic" in the city where I live is "3 times the normal price." Control of the regulations is dodgy at best here in Spain, so I think many many people are paying organic prices for regular old produce. It's fashionable and it carries a lot of feel-good factor, not to mention bourgeois cachet...the sort of remark that people drop at high-end cocktail parties: "Oh I only buy/eat organic vegetables! So much more flavour!" while they stare disapprovingly at the catered nibbles.
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Posted by Tweety on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Jan 2003 · 3135 posts
I know part of the reason is they have to pay some organization to be "certified". This is why some farmers buck the system and just claim "grown without pesticides".
Sometimes the price difference is unfair. Today for instance a bag of Florida oranges (it's finally starting oragne season here) was $2.99 for conventionally grown and $6.99 for organic in the same grocery store. I choose organic when the price difference isn't that wide. For example the difference between tomatoes was 50 cents a pound and so I splurged.
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Posted by Ecstatic on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Jul 2007 · 531 posts
It's also because it's more difficult to grow organic. It requires more tending, and therefore more workers. Spray some pesticides and artificial fertilizer ... and you're good to go. But, when it comes to organic, you can't do that. So, instead, on large scale farms, they hire people to walk around with blow torches and burn away all the weeds, bugs, etc. Naturally, this is not that great for the soil so they have to import natural manure from other places in order to grow crops in the same plot of land, year after year. This costs a lot of money and makes the price go up.
Then, of course, if they want the USDA organic label, they need to pass tests and those aren't free. Other independant companies certify organic, too ... but the USDA, for some reason, is most trusted. ???
Then, organic is still a small market (though, it's growing). So, not as many people choose to buy organic. Less demand = higher price.
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Posted by Di on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Nov 2006 · 1343 posts
We are getting more lucky in Ontario all the time. One of our huge food chains (Loblaws) are adding more and more organics all the time. As are Longo's and Dominion. Hopefully, as there is more demand, prices will lower. These three chains have decent prices on organics.
Loblaws has organic maple syrup, oatmeal, cereals, beans and on and on. They were also the first in Ontario to produce recycled toilet paper and paper towels. My mom used to cringe thinking the toilet paper had been recycled. :) They also brought out a line of jarred organic baby foods. Starting little ones off right.
I have also always wondered why meat analogs cost so much. It is like a soy bean has more value than that of living animals. Again, until we have much more demand so that production can be greater, we will continue to see high prices. Imagine fake meat costing more than the life of an animal.
None the less, the more we buy organics, we will hopefully see lower prices and a more kind and peaceful world.
I buy organics when I can. Needless to say, there are some things I just can't afford.
Loblaws became a leader in Canada when they brought out the recycled toilet paper and paper towels. They filled a need that some people wanted. I have no idea but I have to think because of their being innovative, they got more customers because of it.
I try to only buy organic produce for my 4 budgies and parrot. Their little bodies certainly don't need pesticides. Neither do we but it costs a lot less to feed them! They get organic broccoli, grapes, apples, lettuce etc.
I do believe I feed by critters better than myself.
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Posted by Tweety on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Jan 2003 · 3135 posts
Then, organic is still a small market (though, it's growing). So, not as many people choose to buy organic. Less demand = higher price.
That completely defies the law of economics which states that the lower the demand the cheaper the product.
There is however an increasing demand and organics is one of the largest growing segments of the food industry, perhaps that keeps the pressure on the product to stay high as well.
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Posted by laurabs on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Jul 2006 · 2610 posts
We are getting more lucky in Ontario all the time. One of our huge food chains (Loblaws) are adding more and more organics all the time. As are Longo's and Dominion. Hopefully, as there is more demand, prices will lower. These three chains have decent prices on organics.
Loblaws has organic maple syrup, oatmeal, cereals, beans and on and on. They were also the first in Ontario to produce recycled toilet paper and paper towels. My mom used to cringe thinking the toilet paper had been recycled. :) They also brought out a line of jarred organic baby foods. Starting little ones off right.
I have also always wondered why meat analogs cost so much. It is like a soy bean has more value than that of living animals. Again, until we have much more demand so that production can be greater, we will continue to see high prices. Imagine fake meat costing more than the life of an animal.
None the less, the more we buy organics, we will hopefully see lower prices and a more kind and peaceful world.
I buy organics when I can. Needless to say, there are some things I just can't afford.
Loblaws became a leader in Canada when they brought out the recycled toilet paper and paper towels. They filled a need that some people wanted. I have no idea but I have to think because of their being innovative, they got more customers because of it.
although I hesitate to support big corporations, I have to agree, it IS handy and heartening that loblaws has such a large organics section. they're really pioneering to make organics accessible. and I hate/have to admit (but don't quote me on this) I think their prices are less expensive than many smaller, specialy organic shops, or, at least comparable.
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Posted by Laine on Oct 13, 2007 · Member since Sep 2006 · 216 posts
In addition to what others above have said- another contributing factor to the higher price of organics is due to a loss of crops. Because the farmers don't use any pesticides or other chemicals, the crops are more succeptible to insects and other pests and therefore the markup needs to be higher for the farmers to make any money.
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Posted by Anonymous on Oct 14, 2007 · Member since Dec 1969 · 11789 posts
Here in Europe, it is definitely all about the marketing! Yes, there are trustworthy organic shops and sources, but just this summer there was a scandal in Britian when it was discovered that plain old factory-produced eggs were being marketed as "organic" and distributed to the large supermarkets in the UK. Over the last 2-3 yrs the superstores have jumped on the "organic" bandwagon, and I have learned that the best translation of the term "organic" in the city where I live is "3 times the normal price." Control of the regulations is dodgy at best here in Spain, so I think many many people are paying organic prices for regular old produce. It's fashionable and it carries a lot of feel-good factor, not to mention bourgeois cachet...the sort of remark that people drop at high-end cocktail parties: "Oh I only buy/eat organic vegetables! So much more flavour!" while they stare disapprovingly at the catered nibbles.
I know part of the reason is they have to pay some organization to be "certified". This is why some farmers buck the system and just claim "grown without pesticides".
Sometimes the price difference is unfair. Today for instance a bag of Florida oranges (it's finally starting oragne season here) was $2.99 for conventionally grown and $6.99 for organic in the same grocery store. I choose organic when the price difference isn't that wide. For example the difference between tomatoes was 50 cents a pound and so I splurged.
It's also because it's more difficult to grow organic. It requires more tending, and therefore more workers. Spray some pesticides and artificial fertilizer ... and you're good to go. But, when it comes to organic, you can't do that. So, instead, on large scale farms, they hire people to walk around with blow torches and burn away all the weeds, bugs, etc. Naturally, this is not that great for the soil so they have to import natural manure from other places in order to grow crops in the same plot of land, year after year. This costs a lot of money and makes the price go up.
Then, of course, if they want the USDA organic label, they need to pass tests and those aren't free. Other independant companies certify organic, too ... but the USDA, for some reason, is most trusted. ???
Then, organic is still a small market (though, it's growing). So, not as many people choose to buy organic. Less demand = higher price.
We are getting more lucky in Ontario all the time. One of our huge food chains (Loblaws) are adding more and more organics all the time. As are Longo's and Dominion. Hopefully, as there is more demand, prices will lower. These three chains have decent prices on organics.
Loblaws has organic maple syrup, oatmeal, cereals, beans and on and on. They were also the first in Ontario to produce recycled toilet paper and paper towels. My mom used to cringe thinking the toilet paper had been recycled. :)
They also brought out a line of jarred organic baby foods. Starting little ones off right.
I have also always wondered why meat analogs cost so much. It is like a soy bean has more value than that of living animals. Again, until we have much more demand so that production can be greater, we will continue to see high prices. Imagine fake meat costing more than the life of an animal.
None the less, the more we buy organics, we will hopefully see lower prices and a more kind and peaceful world.
I buy organics when I can. Needless to say, there are some things I just can't afford.
Loblaws became a leader in Canada when they brought out the recycled toilet paper and paper towels. They filled a need that some people wanted. I have no idea but I have to think because of their being innovative, they got more customers because of it.
I try to only buy organic produce for my 4 budgies and parrot. Their little bodies certainly don't need pesticides. Neither do we but it costs a lot less to feed them! They get organic broccoli, grapes, apples, lettuce etc.
I do believe I feed by critters better than myself.
Then, organic is still a small market (though, it's growing). So, not as many people choose to buy organic. Less demand = higher price.
That completely defies the law of economics which states that the lower the demand the cheaper the product.
There is however an increasing demand and organics is one of the largest growing segments of the food industry, perhaps that keeps the pressure on the product to stay high as well.
We are getting more lucky in Ontario all the time. One of our huge food chains (Loblaws) are adding more and more organics all the time. As are Longo's and Dominion. Hopefully, as there is more demand, prices will lower. These three chains have decent prices on organics.
Loblaws has organic maple syrup, oatmeal, cereals, beans and on and on. They were also the first in Ontario to produce recycled toilet paper and paper towels. My mom used to cringe thinking the toilet paper had been recycled. :)
They also brought out a line of jarred organic baby foods. Starting little ones off right.
I have also always wondered why meat analogs cost so much. It is like a soy bean has more value than that of living animals. Again, until we have much more demand so that production can be greater, we will continue to see high prices. Imagine fake meat costing more than the life of an animal.
None the less, the more we buy organics, we will hopefully see lower prices and a more kind and peaceful world.
I buy organics when I can. Needless to say, there are some things I just can't afford.
Loblaws became a leader in Canada when they brought out the recycled toilet paper and paper towels. They filled a need that some people wanted. I have no idea but I have to think because of their being innovative, they got more customers because of it.
although I hesitate to support big corporations, I have to agree, it IS handy and heartening that loblaws has such a large organics section. they're really pioneering to make organics accessible. and I hate/have to admit (but don't quote me on this) I think their prices are less expensive than many smaller, specialy organic shops, or, at least comparable.
In addition to what others above have said- another contributing factor to the higher price of organics is due to a loss of crops. Because the farmers don't use any pesticides or other chemicals, the crops are more succeptible to insects and other pests and therefore the markup needs to be higher for the farmers to make any money.
very interesting points