“Why are organic foods so expensive?”
This is more than likely a question you’ve asked yourself while combing the grocery aisles in search of organic options for your family. You might have even wondered if the extra cash was worth it. It is.
Truly organic foods, like many of Pacific Foods’ products, have been produced or sourced using only organic methods that meet specific criteria. For example, the foods themselves or ingredients are free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and are sourced from farms that don’t give their animals growth regulators or livestock feed additives. Plus, organic agriculture supports soil health with practices such as composting and cover cropping. This means you’re only eating and drinking foods that meet strict standards for agriculture and production and doing good for a healthier planet.
For foods to be produced in this way and then certified by the USDA, there are many requirements and steps in the process. However, this does increase the cost of making organic foods available to you. Organic foods cost more due to:
Important note: There is a difference between foods labeled as “organic” and “certified organic”. Make sure you understand the difference between the two before selecting products for your family.
Organic food isn’t produced the same way non-organic food is. In fact, producing organic food takes longer and involves many additional steps and requirements. In other words, organic food must be produced without shortcuts. This raises the cost of your favorite bananas.
What are some of these requirements? Check these examples out, straight from the USDA:
These requirements make for a more expensive and time-consuming production process. For example, organic farmland is often difficult to come by and more expensive to purchase. Managing crops without synthetic pesticides is simply more labor-intensive. And providing organic living conditions for animals requires greater care.
For products to use the certified organic label, they must meet USDA standards. This includes produce, meat, and all other processed products that include organic ingredients. The said, USDA certification isn’t cheap and can be time-consuming for all involved.
According to the USDA, certification costs vary widely. Costs and fees may range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. And this doesn’t include the costs associated with making farms and facilities meet the necessary requirements, such as those mentioned above.
Plus, growers and handlers are required to maintain their status through an annual certification renewal process, audit, and continuing education. Some of the additional cost to buy organic is meant to help growers and handlers recoup some of the costs of certification.
USDA requirements also include standards for the more ethical treatment of animals used to make organic food products. For example, all the feed that livestock eat must be organic and livestock must be able to forage on the farmland for their own food.
Other requirements include:
Even though we should do everything in our power to provide ethical standards for all animals, it does cost more to do so. It requires additional farmland, more help to nurture and care for these animals, and additional resources.
It’s true that the more food we buy, the more the company produces. And as a result, it lowers the price of those items. This is the basic principle of supply and demand and it’s a big challenge for organic products.
Currently, organic food sales only make up 4% of total food sales here in the US. The demand for organic products isn’t even close to that of non-organic products, which means costs will be higher due to small-scale production.
Take an apple for example. When you visit your favorite grocery store, you often have a choice between organic apples or standard apples. Organic apple sales make up only 10% of apple category sales in the US. Demand is definitely lower.
This means that the organic apple will probably be priced higher than the non-organic apple. Recent data shows that organic products cost around 7.5% or 24 cents more than non-organic products. So, depending on how many apples you buy, you could be adding a few dollars to your cart.
The truth is, although organic products do cost more on average, it’s often not as much as you might think. Recently, Consumer Reports performed an analysis of the USDA’s Weekly Advertised Fruit & Vegetables Retail Prices report. They found that for the items they analyzed, the difference in price was often $1.00 or less per unit.
For example, in June 2020, the national average price for organic nectarines was $2.54 per pound while non-organically grown nectarines were priced at $1.95 per pound. Those same numbers show that the price for organic kale was $1.70 a bunch while non-organic kale was $1.18 a bunch.
Of course, prices vary depending on the type of product. For example, organic milk can cost you up to a few dollars more than a gallon of non-organic milk. Other products that vary widely include meat such as poultry.
The market continues to evolve, however. Recent data shows that non-organic or conventional food costs are rising at a rate much faster than organic costs. Since 2019, prices for various non-organic vegetables, meats, and fruits have risen by 13.9%, while organic prices have only risen by 1.6%.
It’s true that organic foods do cost a bit more than non-organic options. After all, greater care is taken to ensure only the best ingredients, the best animal care, and the best practices are used in the making of your favorite foods.
Whether or not organic foods are worth the extra cost comes down to personal choice. If it’s important for you to:
…Then purchasing organic food products might be the best choice for you. It’s important to do your own research, so you can choose the right foods for you and your family.
Interested in learning more? Here are some helpful resources:
If you can’t say it, don’t eat it. That’s part of our food philosophy here at Pacific Foods. And it’s why we make foods that are simple, using only natural and organic grains, meats, and veggies. Try Pacific Foods for yourself by shopping our products.