New Poll Reveals How Americans Feel about Organic Food

When you think about organic food, is the first thing that comes to mind "expensive"?  For most Americans it is.  According to a new Harris poll, 59% of Americans think that an organic food label on a product is just a way for companies to charge more for their product.   At the same time organic products are becoming more popular due to people's concerns over the environment and personal health.

You may be wondering why organic food costs more.  According to The Organic Farming Research Foundation:

"The cost of organic food is higher than that of conventional food because the organic price tag more closely reflects the true cost of growing the food: substituting labor and intensive management for chemicals, the health and environmental costs of which are borne by society. These costs include cleanup of polluted water and remediation of pesticide contamination. Prices for organic foods include costs of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. In the case of processed foods, processing and packaging costs are also included. Organically produced foods must meet stricter regulations governing all these steps than conventional foods. The intensive management and labor used in organic production are frequently (though not always) more expensive than the chemicals routinely used on conventional farms. Cost, is very dependent upon market venue and consumer product choice. It is possible to consume a moderately priced diet of organic foods by purchasing directly from farmers at venues such as farmers markets, and by choosing unprocessed organically grown foods at the grocery store."

I don't know about you but I will pay more if I have to in order to eat foods that don't include chemicals and pesticides.  I don't buy all organic food since it's too expensive for me but I focus on buying organic chicken, milk, and vegetables.  I think if the demand for organic increases, the prices will come down.