Organic foods always seems to be a hot topic. There are studies that say eating only organic will make you healthier, and others that say there is no proven benefit. There are people who are more than willing to cough up some extra dough for organic, while others think the prices are too high and not worth the money. I think the organic divide will continue for years. So a new survey chose to find out from those who are already in the pro-organic camp and routinely purchase organic, why they do, and for those who don’t, why not.
The survey results show that most people buy organic for health reasons (in the USA and Australia), whereas few people buy organic to ensure improved conditions for farm workers. Customers in the UK are less likely to buy organic because of the high cost. Concern for environmental safeguarding, taste, and animal welfare fall in the middle.
Check out the fun little results graphic below:
So now I want to hear from you. Do you buy organic? If so, why? If not, why not?
I’m curious…
~Mavis
Cheri says
I buy some organic products as I can afford them, because it is more likely that they were produced in humane, eco-friendly conditions and because organic processed foods almost always have fewer harmful additives in the ingredient list. Besides, if I have a choice and can afford a product, why would I put a product that was made with pesticides, etc. into my body? Why would I not support smaller farms? That makes no sense! I do, however, avoid organically-raised animal products, because I’ve heard that these animals are often denied necessary medication. I’ve also heard that some farms will treat the animals but will use them for other purposes that don’t violate the organic standards. I’m not sure which is better or if either is a good idea, so I just focus on grass-fed and free-range and “humanely-raised” labels. Ideally, I’d be vegan, but I’m not able to do that, yet.
Mrs. C. says
It depends on the product. Certain fruits and vegetables I don’t bother buying organic, but others are heavily sprayed, such as apples and celery. My HH has had allergic reactions to some of these, and when I get organic, he doesn’t. We are growing more and more in our yard, and that helps defray the costs.
Diana says
I try to grow most of what we eat. I have never used chemicals on my property. The food we grow tastes so much better than store bought. It is funny in the past no one had to worry about organic products, chemicals were not used. Now the food that is sold in the store is the variety that makes the most profit, not that taste the best or are nutritious. I only buy organic products when I shop. You can’t put a price on your health. It is much cheaper to eat nutritious food than to pay for medications.
Amanda says
I grew up on a farm in the 80’s. I remember seeing the bare patches in the field that had been sprayed with the high-powered pesticide/herbicide. This was seriously toxic stuff. The people buying/handling this had to take a class and get a license to use it (wearing special gear). It would kill the patches in the field for MANY years. This is not something I want inside my body. I have a son with autism, and he is not easily able to detox – so buying organic is important to help manage his toxic load. We did a lot of organic before he was born, but I feel now it’s imperative for my family now. I try to make sure we only buy organic for the dirty dozen, and am okay with buying non-organic for the clean 15. It’s super expensive, by the way : ?
Michelle says
If I eat it every day, I buy organic. If it’s just on occasion, what ever is on sale. We get a lot of free home grown fruit from neighbors yards so that helps a lot too.
Brianna says
I recently switched to doing organic for the dirty dozen and for dairy, but plan to buy conventionally grown produce for the clean 15 due to cost. My frugal tendencies are battling with my desire to go for the health benefits of eating all organic!
Deborah says
My husband and I eat as much organic as we can. Not only fruits and veggies but dairy products too. I’m vegetarian and my husband eats very little meat. But what he does eat is organic.
Eating seasonally really helps. We also grow as much of our own food as possible.
When our children were young I made sure as much of their food was organic as possible. It wasn’t as easy back then finding organically grown foods. That’s when I started gardening.
We vote with our dollars. Eating nonorganic is a vote for chemical agriculture.
lynne says
The majority of our groceries are organic, and/or locally grown/raised. I want to help out the local farmer as much as I can, and I truly do not care to eat pesticides. I like to know where my food came from. Now, that being said, living in Northern MN, it gets hard to find local veges/fruits this time of year, but our local health food coop carries a great variety – albeit grown in other countries or the southern States. I believe the health benefits are worth the cost, and our food budget is more than normal for 2 people. LynneinMN
Brianna says
I’m just happy my kids love fruit and veggies, but they eat so much that it would kill my budget if I bought organic. I rarely buy fruits and veggies that have been overly handled and processed though….you know, the peeled baby carrots, salad mixes, cut veggies, sliced melons, etc that are in the produce section. I believe the more the fruit or veggie is handled, the more contaminated it potentially can be with mechanical bits or bacteria. I do buy organic produce if the prices are relatively close to the inorganic prices or it has been marked down for quick sale or it is local. I also buy organic boxed Mac & cheese because I prefer the natural color over the neon orange. Just because a packaged product is labeled organic doesn’t necessarily mean it is composed of 100% organic ingredients. Their are different labeling regulations based on the amount of organic in a product. I wish there was a consistent system, either yes all 100% organic or no not organic and cannot claim it on a label.
I grew up in a farming community and it seems like a lot of farmers prematurely developed lymphoma, leukemia, brain tumors, or respiratory issues and I can’t help but wonder if the use of pesticides is a contributing factor. Many family generations have farmed the same land and within the past 20-30 years they started using pesticides and now many family members are ill, whereas before there was no family history. We stopped production on our farm in the 1990’s and have turned it into a wildlife habitat instead. I do believe organic is healthier for the workers, surrounding environment, and consumers, but the price is inflated so much that many cannot afford it. Organic has become a profitable business for many, but the certification process can take a lot of money and even years. The use of pesticides has become cheap crop insurance, so farmers only have to worry about weather-related damages anymore and can sign contracts with buyers for guaranteed product yield before seeds are even planted.
Jeanie says
I definitely buy the dirty dozen all organic. I grew up in central California and I am convinced that those crop dusters spraying the strawberry and broccoli fields contributed to my autoimmune diseases (I currently have 3! And have cancer twice) so there is no way I eat stuff that I know is heavily sprayed or can’t be peeled. I try to source things locally because I can develop relationships with growers and have honest interaction regarding the chemicals they use. I buy hormone free meats and dairy and either make bread or buy it from a clean source.
All that said, I am not a elitist regarding organic. If we go out, we go where ever we want and don’t worry about the chemicals. If we are at someone’s home, I don’t say anything. We want to live our lives and hopefully along the way, educate someone that certain foods are not safe to eat because of toxicity.
Leslie says
This topic is totally interesting. My sister who works in organic agriculture does not eat organic. When I have asked, she cites the studies indicating no benefits, and talks about the horrors of commercial agriculture (my words, not hers). The food waste thing is definitely a sore spot for me (way more food waste in organic produce, since it’s less predictable and most stores only want “pretty” produce.) It’s pretty darn compelling. And so is the marketing that tells me I should eat organic food!
Kristina says
There’s a lot of misinformation out there from the organic industry, which is a multi-billion dollar business which uses health claims to prey on the very real concerns of people who are just trying to take good care of their families. Couple this marketing with consumers’ unintentional biases, and you get a lot of extra money spent on organically produced food with no consequent health value, as opposed to conventional. Stanford University conducted a study just a couple of years ago that concluded that organic is not safer and no more nutritious than conventional. As for pesticide use, I can say that our family looked into turning our almond and walnut farm into an organic operation, and were surprised that most of the ag chemicals we use have bio-identical organic counterparts which are allowable under USDA organic rules. They cost a whole lot more, and it turned out not to be a good business decision to switch, but we would have been producing the exact same product as before, just charging more. Use no chemicals on your own garden if you prefer, but remember that the reason you can get what you need from the store when your garden doesn’t produce is that we don’t have the horrible crop failures of the past, precisely because of modern farming practices – including many organic operations, most of which are decidedly not pesticide free. Personally, I’ll buy organic at the store in the rare event that it costs less.
kim mann says
I buy organic when I can for 2 reasons. One, my daughter has Down syndrome and she can’t rid herself of toxins the way we can. Since I found out she would have Ds, we’ve grown only organic fruits & veggies. And we DO NOT use lawn chemicals. ‘Nuff said about that…
Two, there are certain fruits & veggies that taste better. I can tell the difference in bananas as well as celery grown organically.
A lot of items are cost prohibitive, so I look for mark downs. But I always buy organic celery & bananas!
kim mann says
And btw, my little my princess is as healthy as her 4 big brothers! Tall, healthy, lean (ish! Lol) and is in mainstream classes with all As & Bs. Yes, she’s awesome! I give credit to the Big Guy upstairs, but maybe a little cuz of her awesome mom!
Sara says
I don’t buy organic unless it is really on sale, we just don’t have that kind of money to spend on food. I would love to see a study on a group of people who eat only organic vs those who eat non-organic – if they eat basically the same things spend the same time exercising, would it really make a difference in health in the long run? Life expectancy?
Eva says
Once you start gardening you forget how expensive places like Whole Foods are. When thanksgiving comes around and sweet potatoes are 3 pounds for 79 cents and you look at your water bill you think “Wow gardening is really expensive!”