Why is organic food more expensive?

Find out the basic reasons why USDA certified organic food is more expensive.

Kimberlie Cole
Livestock Farmer: West Wind Farms | http://www.grassorganic.com/

Alfred Farris
Grain Farmer: Windy Acres Farm | http://www.windyacresfarmshop.com/

Mary Rogers
Organic Crops Research Associate: University of Tennessee Department of Agriculture | http://organics.tennessee.edu/

Dr. Forbes Walker
Soil Scientist: University of Tennessee Department of Agriculture | http://organics.tennessee.edu/

Created by Michael Tapp | http://www.michaeltapp.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• organic
• expensive
• certified
• USDA
• food

[emberglance]

Good to see a video that just sets out to inform, without pushing an agenda!

What about non-USDA organic designations? Are they regulated at all? What standards must they conform to?

[michaelwtapp]

@emberglance - Thank you for the kind words! I aimed to just deliver the facts.

Conventional agriculture is pretty much a free market and the USDA does not inspect conventional farms.

[TheJoman40]

Blame the middle men..Not the farmers. I am a certified organic farmer/rancher who is subject to all of the increased costs. However I believe that there is far too much price gouging taking place in the market due to all of the middle men. We sell our grass finished beef to our local grocery store at the same rate that they can buy it from IBP. Consumers will be able to buy it for about the same price as the IBP garbage because we are eliminating four or five middle men.......Buy Local

[heyassmanx]

@TheJoman40 Thanks for the info, I've been dealing with that very problem for a long while now, much appreciated!

[shinokiba]

@Monte3207 Don't worry it will be legal is the next 5-10 years, it is very expensive to keep it illegal, it will end the same way prohibition ended in 1933.

[Monte3207]

@shinokiba it really is. I wish we could grow it. we spend a lot of money importing it.

[shinokiba]

@Monte3207 I did not know that about hemp, thats really cool.

[Monte3207]

@shinokiba Hemp grain has been used throughout history as an abundant and nutritional food source. Hemp grain produces two distinct food products: oil and flour. The oil is made into salad dressings, soups, butter, and cheese. The flour can be used as a complement to wheat or corn flour to make breads, pancakes, pizza dough, cookies, and many other foods. You can most definitely grow organic without chemicals. you think chemicals were involved a 100 years ago?

[shinokiba]

@Monte3207 I also want hemp to be legalized, but you can't eat hemp. Organic farming uses as much chemicals as non organic farming, the difference is that the chemicals used in organic farming is worse. If you care about the environment then don't eat organic foods and legalize hemp.

[Monte3207]

@shinokiba that bullshit. Spraying chemicals is what is bad for the environment. trees are cut down everyday and it has nothing to do with farming. Legalize Hemp and not one more tree needs to be cut down. but noooooooooo that would mean lumber and paper will lose business and god forbid, let the little guy make a buck or a living.

[Bllackguard666]

It requires more land, and produces less, requires more lobbyists to get these big industry heads to jump in on this scam. It requires more land, less product, higher price, and NO difference in the food quality.

[shinokiba]

@Obamain2012 If that happens, a lot of people will die. Organic food is not as effective and Genetically altered food. There will be a lot less food for everyone.