Consumer Demand for Organic Foods?

Question

I heard the demand for organic foods is increasing as
health awareness is also increasing. I have noticed
several Whole Foods Markets popping up allover the place
near my home town.

I read somewhere that the demand for Organic food and
Grass fed organic meat and dairy increases about 200%
each year. Is this true?

What are your thoughts about Organic stuff?
I think its a good thing, hopefully all stores
will start carrying it.

Answer 1

there are two issues at work here.

organic which basically means food grown without pesticides, etc.

and locally grown food.

yes organic food is great, but it has also become a money maker and marketing dream come true for many companies hoping to increase profits. organic food is also touted as healthy, but that's debatable. and not everybody can afford to buy organic. for many working poor (not on food stamps) they would rather buy 4 oranges for that one dollar at a regular supermarket than 1-2 oranges at whole foods.

the second issues is locally grown food. many ppl are critical about food (organic and conventional) grown thousands of miles away and flown to your city, they think it's a waste of resources. they say you should support your local farmer's market, eating fresh, and whatever is grown that season.

Answer 2

The pros in 'going organic' is that organic food is free from artificial chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, growth-promoters and fertilizers. It is produced using environmentally friendly methods and is free from genetically modified ingredients (term used to describe foods that have had genetic material from other edibles artificially inserted into them using a process known as 'genetic engineering'. The idea behind this is to transfer the beneficial properties found in some types of plants or animals - such as resistance to attack by diseases, insects or herbicides - to other plants or animals that normally lack these properties). Organic foods reduce dependence on non-renewable resources and places emphasis on animal welfare. Some people think organic food tastes better than non-organic. Organic foods according to some studies show that they have more vitamins and beneficial trace elements than conventionally grown food and so may be more nutritious (8).

However, with all these pros come some cons. Organic foods are not mass-produced and traditional organic farming often produces lower yields than modern intensive farming methods. That is why organic food is generally more expensive than non-organic. For example, a half gallon of non-organic milk in New York City is $1.49, while the cost of organic milk is $2.99 The fruits and vegetables produced organically sometimes look less appealing than conventional produce that's been specially bred for the commercial benefits (8).

In conclusion, there are different views on whether organic foods are really helpful to us, or in fact may be harmful. Science is always subject to challenges based upon new observations. There are still many questions that I am not sure of the answer. For instance, can a processed food be called organic if it also contains some non-organically produced ingredients? If so, what percentage of ingredients should be organically grown and what percentage can be non-organically grown? Consumers may pay up to double the price for organic foods. What happens to those people who can not afford organic foods, are they really at a disadvantage? I believe that the organic food label is not enough to prove that it is better than non-organic foods. I mean what about the nutrition of the food itself? How about the soil in which the crops were grown? What about the post-harvesting handling of the foods? Soil management will vary from farm to farm. I guess this just proves that science does not have an ending loop or a conclusion.

Answer 3

There is little argument that it is good and good for you. However the biggest problem is keeping it fresh. In the case of fruit and vegetables, they are best when ripe. They begin to decay with hours or days so that is the target to pick, market, sell and have consumed....HARD to do. Thus the success of preservatives!

That fact also leads to the 5 fold higher costs of organic foods. Range rasied chicken is THE best but it costs about $8 a lbs here in the midwest.

A 200% increase in a market which has .01% really isn't all that great.

Answer 4

Organic foods are wonderful, and healthier than traditional foods. I love Whole Foods. Consumption of organic foods have been on a steep rise for a few years, as more people opt to buy organic products.

Answer 5

As the public becomes aware at the health problems caused by the improper & dangerous practices in Farming & Ranching they are turning to a more Healthy choice. ORGANIC