Is Organic Food Cheaper

That's a good question, and my best answer is: maybe. The truth is
that we don't know how organic food stacks up against non organic
food in the long run.

This is a tough issue to sort out and since I'm not a food
scientist, let me analyze it from a layman's point of view.

First, "organic" is a very abused term. What it means in one state
is completely different from what it means in another. The federal
government complicates the matter even further, by allowing
companies not to list certain ingredients in their foods.

For instance, many foods that are listed as being "free of trans
fats"...are not. The federal government has decided that certain
levels of trans fats are acceptable and not necessary to list in
labeling. So when a company makes the claim that their product is
100% trans fat free...it ain't necessarily so.

In Lalaland, out west, the former domain of the Governator, this has
been a big issue for years and although California labeling is
better than in other states, it still has big holes that are being
exploited by giant food companies.

So how do we know what is organic, and what isn't? The answer is...
you really don't, unless you know the farmer personally and he tells
you what he uses...and doesn't use.

That brings us to Whole Foods, the best known and largest "organic"
store, which makes the claim of actually inspecting what it sells.
(Don't go there looking for diet soda, or low fat yogurt, because
they don't sell it.) Their main claim to fame is that they can get
people to spend $75 on fruit and vegetables that would cost $25 at
Costco and $100 on beef and chicken that would cost $25 at Costco.
All because these items are "organic."

My question has always been, why is organic food so expensive? A
neighbor of mine, with four kids, told me she blew a month's grocery
budget in one week at Whole Foods. I'm pretty careful about what I
eat these days, but $11 for four apples is pretty steep for anyone's
budget. Especially when you can get a dozen for $5.99 at Costco.

Here's the maybe part. Maybe taking in all that wonderfully
expensive food at the organic store is worth it in the long run.
Maybe it will mean less time at the doctor's office and fewer
prescriptions. But, nobody knows for sure. No studies have been done
and there isn't any real evidence that I'm aware of.