by Ethan Holmes

Created on: March 06, 2009

Cost Versus Benefit

Please forgive me if I begin my response with a caveat of sorts. My humble opinion is that the question itself; "Is organic produce really worth more money?" is either improperly phrased or it is being misinterpreted from the original intent of the question's poser. This is even more evident when reading the responses to both sides of the issue.

Does the intent of the question pertain to the issue of whether the higher financial cost of organic produce is justifiable, (and by whose standards,) or is the intent to discern if people think the cost weighed against the advertised personal and health benefits is justifiable?

The first one would necessarily involve a strictly financial decision based on the known costs of growing, marketing and delivering organic produce against the costs for non-organic produce.

The second one would include in that equation whether personal taste, personal health preferences and alleged benefits supersede the higher costs of organic over non-organic thus making it "worth more money" only to the individual buyer.

As for me, my opinion is that organic produce, in many cases, is far tastier, more nutritious and necessarily contains far less synthetic and chemical contaminants for me to consume. Organic produce feels different to me, looks different, smells different and tastes different. It's that simple for me.

I grew up lucky enough to have an uncle who was quite a home gardener willing to take me under his wing and teach me what he knew. His yard had a large garden carefully and lovingly tended with strictly organic materials. (Back then there was no such thing as Miracle Gro or other synthetic, plant specific fertilizers.)

My uncle's favorite thing to add to the soil in his produce garden besides compost was cow manure. He grew bright sun red tomatoes as big as my hand, cucumbers and melons that seemed to burst with juice when you bit into them and radishes and onions that seemed to pop out of the ground by the hundreds full of robust flavor. Try finding any of that in a standard grocery store today. (Have you ever noticed when you go in a grocery store you don't smell anything unless it's 4 p.m. and they just put the French bread out?)

Given the memories of what real home-grown organic produce tasted like right out of the garden and getting at least a semblance of that from a good organic produce store answers the question from a personal side for me. If the original intent of the question was to find out if I am willing to pay more for what I perceive to be better reaction from my senses and greater health benefits, then yes, organic produce is worth more money, to me.

If the inquirer wishes to know whether "organic produce is worth more money" on a strictly financial level perhaps the better question would be; "Why is organic produce more expensive than regular' produce?"

That's a question I would like answered myself. My logical mind reasons that if the purveyors of organic produce do not have to buy all the chemicals, synthetic fertilizers, growth hormones and pesticides that other growers use would it not cost less to produce it? Yet as a businessman I must also remind myself that where there is far less demand for a product in the face of a cheaper, seemingly similar product that the masses prefer, the cost of the organic product will necessarily be higher based on supply/demand.

Is it really worth more? You decide; I already have.

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