Value VS. Expense of Buying Organic. Latest News Offers Two More Reasons to Spend More on Organic

Value VS. Expense of Buying Organic. Latest News Offers Two More Reasons to Spend More on Organic

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Last weekend when we were at our local health food store, my husband got into it with the saleslady about the value versus expense of buying organic.  I couldn't have been more pleased as she repeated to him the same information about the benefits of buying and eating organic that I have been telling him for the last few years: no GMO toxins ingested, longer shelf life, no toxic pesticides etc.  As we left the store, she said to my daughters, "You girls sure are lucky to have a mom who cares so much about what you put into your bodies."  Then she turned to my husband and said, "And you sir, sure are lucky to have such a beautiful wife who takes such good care of your daughters and you."  I really didn't add the beautiful part. 

My hubby is very lucky yet I certainly understand his hesitance to embrace spending more for organics because, let's face it folks, buying organic is certainly slightly more expensive than buying traditionally manufactured and grown foods.  And in this economy, almost all of us are feeling the pain as, each week, we watch our grocery bill rise ever higher.  It would seem that nixing the organic selections from our grocery list might be a viable option even for those of us who are fans of the benefits of an organic lifestyle.

I am not so sure what it is that makes people (and my husband) embrace organics but I certainly know that the latest news on organics is enough to make even the staunchest ally of saving a buck, at the possible expense of human health and the health of our planet, take notice.

First,  a 30 year study by the Rodale Institute (http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/) published last week tells us, among other great benefits that, organic farming uses 45 percent less energy and is more efficient than conventional farming.

“America’s farming techniques affect the health of our families, our communities, and our planet. The Farming Systems Trial shows that organic farming is the healthiest and safest way to feed the world, provide much-needed jobs, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and protect precious natural resources,” says Mark Smallwood, Executive Director of Rodale Institute. 

Second, a study published in the Environmental Health News (http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/2011/09/2011-0925-organic-farm-resistant-bacteria) found that, "When compared to farms that maintain conventional chicken-raising practices, farmers who switch to organic farming methods reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria – especially those resistant to more than one antibiotic – that can cause infection in people."

So going green with organics is scientifically proven to be good for the health of our planet and good for the health of us. Is paying a little more for organics worth it now?