Organically versus conventionally grown fruits and vegetables?

Question

Why are organically grown fruits and vegetables more expensive than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables?

Answer 1

Apres Vous has the most misleading and flat out incorrect answer I've ever seen.

Anyway, as some have hinted on, organic production is not only more costly, it also yields less thereby doubling the end cost.

For example, there are almost no viable  weed control methods for organic production outside of tillage and hand weeding.  Therefor, while the conventional lettuce grower may be able to place a thin band of herbicide on the soil prior to planting that has no effect on the lettuce seedlings but prevents weeds from growing, the organic lettuce producer must plant and then endure the 10:1 or so population of weeds to lettuce that results.  Then carefull cultivation of the lettuce seedlings has to happen with mechanical tillage equipment at a very slow pace so the cutting bars can pass very close to the lettuce plants.  After the mechanical cultivation, hand weeding crews have to pass through and hoe out the remaining weeds.  So, while the convetional farmer might spend $80 or $100/acre on weed control up front, the organic farmer has to spend two or three times that often more than one time up to harvest.  And this is only one example.

So, go which ever way you will, but the convetional farmer used a simple chemical and an economic cost 1 time, while the organic farmer burned lots of diesel and relied on lots of illegal labor (sorry folks, that's the reality) to accomplish the same thing and in the end, produced and inferior product at a higher cost.  Sounds like a system that shouldn't exist, doesn't it (from a pure economic standpoint)?

Also, as said, organic does not mean free of pesticides.  It only means the pesticides  were organically approved.  Google "OMRI listed pesticides" for the complete list.  Also, when the lettuce gets worms, the conventional farmer will probably use a pesticide specific to worms that does nothing to beneficial insects (not to mention people) but has a residual effect to continue to control worms for a week or so.  The organic producer will use an organic pesticide (Bt, look it up) that also kills worms but has no residual effect and must be eaten by the worms to kill them meaning they still make holes in the lettuce before they are killed instead of being killed by contact.  Since it has no residual, the organic farmer will have to spray this material EVERY TIME HE HAS WORMS so that in the end, the organic produce will have MORE pesticide used on it than the conventional.  To make the arguement more stupid, the Bt material might also be used by the conventional farmer depending on the situation, but he will use a non-organic approved formulation of the SAME material because it will cost less.  It's kind of like if actual Tylenol were approved organic, but CVS brand aceteminophin were not.  Same drug, different approval.

To add one more stupid thing about this arguement, the Bt is an approved organic pesticide and is the exact same thing that GMO corn was designed to produce within the plant (it's a natual toxin from a bacteria.  Spraying Bt is spraying the actual bacteria, the corn just makes the same chemical toxic to worms that the bateria produces).  So, here we are with all these greenies praising organic foods that are most likely treated with Bt, but if the Bt came from GMO corn, they act like it was an invention of the devil.

Answer 2

Because they are more expensive to produce and because a gullible public thinks they are getting something better.

"Organic" food is the largest-scale scam around just not - even more than the various branches of quack medicine.

Answer 3

Organically grown foods are NOT free of pesticides and herbicides. The pesticides/herbicides are organic in nature whereas the others are man-made chemicals and the like.

Organic produce is more expensive because the production is more expensive. organic pesticides and fertilizers are more expensive than what's used on the non-organics. Those costs are passed down to the consumer.

Apres Vous makes a great point about the gov't/Monsanto connection. You can add Monsanto's parent company, Pharmacia, into the mix as well.

Answer 4

because they are free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals.  

Answer 5

Because they're grown organically, they grow slower, smaller and tend to get eaten by more bugs.

So you get fewer crops to sell, so the price is higher.

Answer 6

two reasons:

1) they are costlier to produce and

2) people are willing to pay premium for "organic"

The word "organic" just means the produce was grown or raised without the use of artificial chemicals, fertilizers or insecticides etc. It does not mean the quality is actually better. But people fall for the hype and thing anything marked "organic"is better. Some are actually of high quality but some are not.

Answer 7

Conventionally grown foods are grown with pesticides, which means that the farmer can get more crop per acre of land.  This enables him to sell it at a lower price.  

Answer 8

The reason organic foods are more expensive is because they do not get subsidies or grants from the government like conventional farms do.  That means that the farm has to pay full price for its water, land, energy, etc. while the farms that use chemical sprays are directly funded by government sources and companies tied closely to the government like Monsanto (evil seed and chemical company).

Answer 9

Organic Farming is all about Ethical.  Hence, the organic certification of a farm and product gives you the assurance that this produce complied to the organic standards.

They are alot of arguments on organic certification.  All arguments are against organic certification are commercially motivated by those who fail to comply to the organic certification standards.

Why do you choose to go for organic produce?  The reason is to stop consuming contaminated foods.  Therefore by buying a produce that has no certification, i.e. 'SO-CLAIMED ORGANIC', you are being deceived and payng more for the product which cost lesser as the conventional produce.

Watch out as they are alot of farmers, middleman merchadiser and supermarket are selling 'so-claimed organic' produce without certification.  In western countries, supermarket (who are rich, making huge profits from poor farmers)  will be sued for being misleading consumers.   Have read in the newspaper that someone took action against one supermarket for selling non-Halal foods passed as Halal.  Great, as supermarket market only cares about making money without respect of others religious believer.

Poor farmers are pay wiht very low prices and the poor farmers have to take care of delivery, packing, stacking, right up to returnable.  But the sales proceed the supermarket after deducting more than 50% (all in), only pay farmers after 60 days. Despite that supermarket deal with cash payment, the money they keep for 60 days interest is a 100% profit without capital and risk.

A lot has been explained about the reason why genuien organic produces cost more.  Please always look out for ORGANIC CERTIFICATION with logo from certified body.  You don't want to be cheated!!!  But most important is when your health concern.

Please take note following cannot be Certified Organic :-

1. Those claimed  produce grown as 'Organically grown', Compost grown but does not means that they do not apply pesticide/herbicide.

2. Hydrophonic - grown in water instead of soil.  But the water is mix with liquid chemical fertiliser, pesticide and etc.

3.  Take note of the farm address that is written on the certification and compare those that are in the packet.  Does the produce come from the certified farm.

4.  Take note of the certified farm acreage.  Does the acreage justified the many types and all year round supply???

5.  Go to our highland and take a lot how many farms are certified.  Log into Malaysia department of agriculture and you will find a list of certified farms listed with full details.

6.  Overseas certification and logo in BROWN COLOR is not certified organic yet.  This shows the farm in CONVERSION, meaning the farm is going through conversion period.  And until then the produce from this farm are not certify organic, only natural.

7.  Soil that has been exposed to chemical fertiliser or pesticide has to go through a conversion period between 3 to 5 years, until the land is free from contamination.  During this period, no chemical of any sorts can be apply to the land.

6.  Water is very important too. Non contaminated water can only be used in organic farming.  Stream, river, tap water cannot apply to organic farm because of contamination.

Hope this helps consumers from being misleaded.

Answer 10

because organic are just left alone but with the others they can make them grow faster with all kinds of c**p, but that also makes them less tasty and not as good for you.

so organic does not give them as much produce so they bump up the price to compinsate