by Denise Calaman

Created on: October 12, 2009   Last Updated: September 10, 2010

The annual $14 billion organic foods business is the fastest-growing segment of the American food business today and it is estimated that it will increase to over $23 billion in the next several years. The increased interest in organic foods is a result of people becoming more aware of how the food choices that they make have a positive or negative impact on their health. Recent scientific studies show that even small amounts of pesticides or chemicals, commonly found as residue on conventionally-grown foods, have negative effects on overall health especially in young children.

So why are organic foods healthier than conventionally-grown foods? They are healthier because of the way that they are grown. New guidelines for selling organic foods as of October 21, 2009, state that foods that are 95% organic may be labeled and sold as organic. Following USDA standards, foods produced without the use of most pesticides, toxic fertilizers, ionizing radiation, genetically-modified organisms, growth hormones or antibiotics qualify to be labeled as organic.

According to the George Mateljan Foundation, (http://whfoods.org/), recent data collection done by the United States Department of Agriculture found that in over 94,000 samples, organically-grown foods had 1/3 the amount of pesticide residue of conventionally-grown foods. Organically-grown fruits and vegetables also have a higher nutritional content with 58% more vitamin C on average. Organic foods aren't limited to fruits and veggies. Meats may be considered organic when they are produced without using antibiotics or growth hormones. Dairy products may also be produced organically.

However; even with the peace of mind of knowing that organic foods are healthier than conventionally-grown foods, some consumers are still turned off by organic foods because most organic foods are priced higher than their conventional counterparts. Why? They cost more to produce. The risk of crop loss is greater because no pesticides are used. The cost of labor is higher because hand maintenance such as weeding is performed. Also, "Organic feed for cattle and other livestock can cost twice as much as conventional feed," says George Siemon, CEO of the Organic Valley co-op, the largest organic farmers' co-op in the country. These are all expenses passed on to the consumer.

The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) completed a study of over 43,000 pesticide tests of fruits gathered from 2000-2004. The fruits were washed and prepared

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