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The Costs and Benefits of Buying Organic Food

By Erin J. Shea
Grocery cart filled with organic vegetables in a supermarket
Photo: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation

Given the choice between two apples with the same outward appearance, would you be willing to pick the one that's 30 cents more just because it's labeled organic?

For most people, that additional 30 cents an apple can add up to a lot of money over time, and going organic can seem a pricey venture. And in light of a recent study funded by Britain's Food Standards Agency that claims there is no nutritional difference between organics and conventionally grown produce, consumers are wondering where the benefit is in buying organic produce.

For proponents of organic living, the question isn't as much about cost as it is health and environmental impact. "If you can choose organics, if they are accessible and affordable for you, we recommend you make the organic choice as often as possible," says Amy Rosenthal of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental health organization. The yearlong study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reviewed 162 scientific papers published in the past 50 years. The authors concluded there is no evidence to suggest that organic foods are nutritionally superior to those grown by conventional methods.

Find out why people eat organically.