It is true that organic can cost more than its non-organic counterparts. That is because the cost of organic reflects the true cost of production. By contrast, there are hidden costs of non-organic production for which everyone will pay indirectly, including damage to water sources, damage to soil resources, damage to wildlife and ecosystem biodiversity, and damage to human health from such things as exposure to pesticides.
These costs are subsidized by and absorbed through government subsidies to non-organic producers. Organic producers receive no such subsidies; therefore organic prices must include the basic cost of production as well as the costs related to the aforementioned externalities.
The good news is that buying organic is easier and in many ways more affordable than ever before. Not only do organic products appear on store shelves in mainstream retail outlets around the country, but thanks to the introduction of organic private label products, the growth of farmers’ markets selling organic products, and organic’s lack of dependence on petroleum-based farm inputs, the gap between organic and non-organic prices is closing. Indeed, in some cases, the price of organic goods is comparable to non-organic goods, making the decision to “go organic” simple and cost-effective.
