There are many reasons why consumers choose organic over conventionally-grown food, but there’s usually one reason why they don’t—cost. Organics can run 10 to 100 percent higher than conventionally grown, throwing all health, taste, and environmental concerns out of the grocery basket. Although savvy farmers’ markets and comparison shopping can yield organics that are close in price to non-organics, a tight budget might still require selective purchases. So, if there are limited amount of organic dollars to spend at the store, where should they go?
First Off: What Is Organic?
We may be familiar with the small green and white “USDA Certified Organic” label, but do we really know what it means? According to the National Organic Program, organic producers cannot use synthetic chemicals (e.g. herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers), sewage sludge, bioengineered organisms, or radiation on their crops. No antibiotics or hormones are used in livestock production and animals are supposed to be given access to outdoor space and fed organic feed. Products that meet these requirement and have at least 95 percent organic ingredients can use the USDA green and white organic seal.
Organic agriculture also strives to promote and enhance biodiversity, decrease reliance on nonrenewable resources, and optimize the health of soil, plants, animals, and people. However, as organic becomes more widespread and industrialized, the last part of the equation has become increasingly distorted. While organic used to be produced by mainly small, local farms, it’s now part of the agro-industry. With places like Wal-Mart and large supermarket chains carrying organics, the low-impact, small-scale organic farming is increasingly becoming factory scale with products trucked thousands of miles to where we buy it.
This means that organics are bound to become cheaper, but until then, here’s where you should spend you money.
Meat, Milk, Poultry, Eggs
Mainstream livestock production uses a host of synthetic helpers to increase yield. Cows and chickens are treated with antibiotics to prevent infection arising from crowded conditions and to improve weight gain; hormones are used to increase growth and production rates.
Organic is beneficial in a variety of ways. Some studies have linked antibiotic use in animals to antibiotic-resistant pathogens in humans; no antibiotics are used in organically grown beef. Pesticides (from feed) can also accumulate in fat, so organic butter, cheeses, and high fat meats are a good choice. Consumer Reports also notes that because organic livestock can only be fed organic feed, we reduce the risk of getting mad-cow disease.
