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Is organic really worth the extra cost?
By: Lisa Watson

Sales of organic products have skyrocketed in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. People associate organic food with better health, local growers, lower pesticide levels, humane treatment of animals and sounder environmental practices.


	What makes it organic?
	Farmers raise organic crops without using chemical pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. They operate using the USDA’s list of accepted products. Organic certification is a three-year process, which requires growers to prove that the ground has not been chemically treated and all their growing practices meet organic standards.
	Is it healthier?
	There is much debate, even among scientists studying organic food, about whether it is actually any healthier than conventionally grown food. Many people believe that organic foods are healthier because they have higher levels of antioxidants and other nutrients, and lower levels of pesticides.

	Why would organic foods have higher nutrient levels?
	Despite disagreements over the benefits of organic foods, scientists are beginning to understand why they frequently contain more nutrients. The simplest reason is that often, organic food is produced locally and is therefore fresher. “Fresh and nutritious go hand in hand,” Lammel-Harmon said. That’s because vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients die over time.

	Do organics limit pesticides and environmental impact?
	In addition to the extra antioxidants, many people choose organic food because chemical pesticides are prohibited in organic growing. But even organic food has some residual pesticides, Lammel-Harmon said, because the chemicals are already in the air. “There’s nothing the farmers can do about it,” she said. That might not be a major problem, however. Current research shows that the level of pesticides associated with the food we eat is unlikely to cause harm, experts said.
	Paying the price
	Sales of organic foods reached $13.8 billion in 2005, according to the Organic Trade Association, but with the rising overall cost of food can consumers really afford to pay extra for organics? Rosenberg likened organic food to a high-priced country club, and traditionally-grown foods to the YMCA: If you exercise at either place consistently, it’s good for your health. But only the people with the highest income levels can afford to go to the country club all the time.

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