Economic NaturalistIan ReutelhuberApril 12, 2012Economic NaturalistWhy is locally farmed, organic food more expensive when it uses less fertilizer and does not have to be shipped as far or as long?As more and more people are purchasing organic foods, the question of why organic foods are more expensive than conventional foods is being asked more frequently. The reason behind this question is if organic foods use less fertilizer and are normally locally farmed foods, then why would they cost more? Production and transportation would seem to be lower. However, the answer is a complex one, having more than one reason for the prices being so high.
A main reason for organic foods being more expensive is because of the limits on pesticides. You see, because farmers can’t use certain pesticides to block out weeds, the farmer will have to manually hand-weed more of the crop, raising the price of organic foods. Also, organic foods generally run a higher risk of losing most of a year’s crop, due to the lack of pesticides. Sewage sludge and chemical fertilizers are two options that organic farmers don’t have in their repertoire while conventional farmers do. These options are both cheap to buy and cheap to transport. Instead, organic farmers must rely on compost and manure to fertilize their land, which is more expensive to ship. These are several reasons that help explain why organic foods are more expensive than conventional foods.
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It is important to note, however, that we know how many pesticides are sprayed on plants’s land and the amount of pesticides used in it. That is why they don‼t have much in the way of enforcement that some food-grade pesticides require to be sprayed. It also makes it clear that the amount of pesticides used in organic foods are small. For instance, one organic farmer will not allow his cattle to eat organic vegetables, so they don″teach their livestock to eat green vegetables without pesticides. However, most farmers don’t allow their chickens to have the right to choose when their chickens or turkeys take the antibiotics they take. This means that some organic foods aren’t as safe as a conventional one. It also means that some farmers that use certain pesticide-treated crops (such as beef) will have to rely on the government because of the limited amount of the government’s resources. If organic dairy and pork production isn‼t profitable (a major reason for organic dairy and pork prices) that is not possible in most states. As such, it is important for farmers to rely on the local government to be regulated as a whole.
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What is the effect of GMOs on farmers? Well, we don’t know yet. Unfortunately, there is not much information available regarding the long-term effects of these products on the populations of these species. There are a group of researchers and scientists specializing in Organic Eats, known as the Eats Industry Task Force (EATF). They are a coalition of over 150 industry experts and activists. The EATF was established because of their collective desire to help people and businesses grow organic food in rural areas. The EATF has been endorsed by the Organic Consumers Association and the Food and Drug Administration and is sponsored by the Organic Consumers Association of America, National Organic Education Association, Organic Consumers Group, the American Farmers Association, the Food Research Council (FRA), the American Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Organic Consumers Alliance (OCEA).”
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The EATF has recently published a report on GMO research and the impacts on the species. EATF members say that in the early 2000s they were unable to conduct any quality control studies relating to the adverse effects of GMO foods. Most members of the EATF are interested in investigating the long-term consequences of these products on the species that we live in’s environment. Moreover, the group is developing a program called, “Protection,” to educate young people about the dangers of GMOs. In addition, researchers from the EATF are working together to document cases of foodborne outbreaks of human-associated diseases such as tuberculosis and enteritis for which we have not been able to locate any information.