Organic Foods Should Cost More Than They Do Already

http://www.RenegadeHealth.com - This might ruffle a few feathers, but follow along and you'll see why I say that the price of organic foods have to go up before they go down...

At the Expo West, a farmer asked Michael Pollan--author of The Omnivore's Dilemma--a question that I thought a lot about.

The question was this... "How can a small guy like us compete with the big food companies as well as those who process foods? We're just farmers, we sell apples and commodities?"

Pollan didn't have a specific answer... he just said that this farmer and the scores of others in the same situation needed to stand out from the rest.

Here are my thoughts...

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[KripDrip]

the prices arent too high, its our wages thats too low. The average persons wages needs to keep up so all this organic food is affordable.

[blueBlackpurple]

Another thing natural foods companies can do is to have an outside objective agency to verify the quality of their foods so that consumers might feel more comfortable that they are getting objective claims.

[cocogrrl]

@NWforager: You've hit the nail on the head! Michael Pollan is probably speaking on the behalf of farmers and other corporations--the CEO of Whole Foods Market who was reported to be a JERK--who are more than wiling to play with big agri-business and even try to dominate them globally...you know, for the planet and to change the world.

[jessomglol]

I, for one, am more than willing to "go without" other things that someone might consider a "necessity" (cereals, snack foods, bottled juice, etc) in order to have fresh, organic beautiful produce. Having access to and eating amazing, organic fruits and veggies is worth so much!

It shouldn't even be an issue of swapping out the box of cheerios (for example), in my opinion. It's not the price, but the WORTH. An organic orange is WORTH so much more than a bowl of cardboard and milk!

[jesssmiley]

-Michael Pollan "The Omnivore's Dilemma", p.169

[jesssmiley]

A few years ago, at a conference on organic agriculture in California, a corporate organic grower suggested to a small farmer struggling to survive in the competitive world of industrial organic agriculture that "you should really try to develop a niche to distinguish yourself in the market." Holding his fury in check, the small farmer replied as levelly as he could manage:

"I believe I developed that niche twenty years ago. It's called 'organic.' And now you, sir, are sitting on it."

[coreyclaire79]

I used to be a Supervisor at a Health Food Store which sold many organic foods and I asked the store manager once why the organic foods cost more - why are we paying more for less? (less pesticide, less additives, etc.) His response was essentially that it cost more for organic farmers because they lose more crop than farmers who use pesticides because they are pesticide free, so it costs them more "per crop." I don't mind paying extra - it's worth the cost for my kids to grow up poison free!

[NWforager]

"premium pricing "can be as misleading as snake oil. "transparency" based on profit=oxymoron . Also it drive a Health wedge between classes. Food Should be more natural and nutritious across the board and it doesnt take money to insure that for the next person . Alice Waters asked an elitist myopic question "why wouldn't you want to spend Most of your money on food?" like her 'solution' is obvious. I'm all for healthy food but being dupes to pay more is problematic for most.

[vivagastronomique]

I like your idea about transparency and offering enough information for the consumer to make an informed choice. But my perspective may be different than the average person, since I have had experience in the restaurant business and taken nutrition classes in college... am probably better informed than the average person, therefore the nutrition labels and info required by the USDA, FDA etc are inadequate IMO. But I would certainly be a consumer of Bob's Apples in your illustration.

[2hotinaz]

No, Bob can't. Our government has made it against the law to do these things. Dairy farmers can't even publicise the fact they use no growth hormones, etc. on their products.