Organic Food Prices On the Rise
With the prices of conventionally grown food continuing to rise as time goes on, the prices of organic food is also rising. In some cases, the prices of organic food is now going beyond the reach of the lower and middle class. If the cost for organic food is nearly twice that of conventional products, then many people will just buy what they can afford.
I recently tried a new breakfast restaurant on the other side of town when I noticed they were charging an $1 surcharge for anything in the menu with tomatoes. I was pretty shocked by that surcharge and asked the owner about it. I was told that her normal cost of tomatoes for a case doubled due to shortages caused by crop failure.
Most people buy organic food to ensure they are not receiving potentially carcinogenic toxics in their body from chemical fertilizers, pesticides, GMO’s, and synthetic hormones. The documentary film Food Inc, touches a lot of issues about the sustainability of food production and the pros and cons of conventional food versus organics … I strongly recommend you watch it, if you haven’t already.
As a single guy, I spend more money on groceries from the price of organics compared to my coworkers who have to feed an entire family of four with conventional products. Someone who can’t afford to buy organic food for an entire family will buy what makes financial sense to them. Even so, pressures on food commodities including inflation and speculation have lead to higher prices for even conventional food. There is no need to cite statistics or reports that prove higher produce costs – just walk around your local grocery store and you’ll know that food prices are going up across the board.
Some farmers are actually switching back to growing conventional foods because the prices of certain crops are so high, there is no need to go through USDA organic certification. This can eventually reduce the amount of selection for organics and cause prices to go up even further.
Due to these economic hard times with inflation and a recession, it feels as if a serious problem could arise if the economy doesn’t stabilize soon. Simply put, organic food will only be affordable to the wealthy. What kind of world do we live in?
Thoughts, Comments, Questions…
Just living life in Portland, Oregon and enjoying every day that goes by. I love the environment, and I love community, and I love being able to share my experiences and perspective with the world.
