"Isn’t it ironic that you pay more for getting something devoid of the chemicals? "
As a organic farmer would like to give some insight into why the costs are high.
There are many reasons for organic produce to be more expensive than your conventional products.
1.Consumers know but dont factor in the fact that agricultural subsidies are given only to conventional farmers. Organic farmers get no subsidy for the inputs they use. Composting also costs money.
2. Organic transition takes a while. The farmer takes hit on the yield in the short run. Takes a few years to make up for the loses in yield.
3. Transport costs are some of the highest costs for organic farmers who today dont have economies of scale. So few producers trying to reach out to niche customers. If couple farmers can consolidate makes a huge difference.
4. Storage of organic produce is another issue. Warehouses today dont have facilitates to store crops for months together. No separate warehousing for organic and inorganic produce.
5. Many customers demand certification which puts further burden of costs on farmers.
I hope that consumers who make a commitment to eating organic find farmers they can buy directly ...would help reduce some of the marketing premium they pay when they buy in stores (who also need to pay rental and other overhead costs)
"Isn’t it ironic that you pay more for getting something devoid of the chemicals? "
ReplyDeleteAs a organic farmer would like to give some insight into why the costs are high.
There are many reasons for organic produce to be more expensive than your conventional products.
1.Consumers know but dont factor in the fact that agricultural subsidies are given only to conventional farmers. Organic farmers get no subsidy for the inputs they use. Composting also costs money.
2. Organic transition takes a while. The farmer takes hit on the yield in the short run. Takes a few years to make up for the loses in yield.
3. Transport costs are some of the highest costs for organic farmers who today dont have economies of scale. So few producers trying to reach out to niche customers. If couple farmers can consolidate makes a huge difference.
4. Storage of organic produce is another issue. Warehouses today dont have facilitates to store crops for months together. No separate warehousing for organic and inorganic produce.
5. Many customers demand certification which puts further burden of costs on farmers.
I hope that consumers who make a commitment to eating organic find farmers they can buy directly ...would help reduce some of the marketing premium they pay when they buy in stores (who also need to pay rental and other overhead costs)
Thanks for sharing these details.
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