Organic vs Non-Organic

It is time to put this debate to rest. Many of you have probably had this debate whether it be in your head or with a friend. I know I have. The media puts it out there that you have to eat organic, because it is the best. Well says who? Organic foods tend to have higher prices, but can those prices be justified? Are they safer? Do they actually have the benefits that they say they do? I know these are questions I ask myself. I try to eat as healthy as possible and stay on a budget but deciding between organic and non-organic foods is a tough choice. What makes it even more difficult is that I am a student and I only have a part time job so I only want to purchase organic if it is actually worth it. I am sure most of you are in the same "boat" as me. I am going to try to lay it all out there for you to try to make your decision a bit easier.

To begin with, some of you may have heard of "organic" food but do you know what "organic" really means?

Organic: Food that is produced using both environmentally and animal friendly farming methods. ( Soil Association )

After reading that definition you are probably thinking to yourself "It is better for the environment and keeps our animals safe, why wouldn't you buy organic?" Then think to yourself the extra cost for organic food. You are paying more to keep the environment safe. It sounds like a good thing but unfortunately with the economy like it is a lot of people, students especially don't have the disposable income to choose organic over non-organic. In a perfect world organic food would be cheaper because it is better for the environment and that is our goal as a country to save the environment right? The only thing standing in the way is the fact that it costs the farmers more when they use environmentally safe methods and they certainly aren't going to take a pay cut, can you blame them? They are people too, they work hard for their money and can't afford to give any up.

Some of the main differences between organic and non-organic are:

1. In non-organic chemical fertilizers are used, whereas in organic natural fertilizers (manure, plants, etc.) are used to promote the growth of the food. 
2. In non-organic the farmers give their animals growth hormones and other medication to help prevent sickness, whereas in organic they allow the animals to have a balanced diet, keep their living environment clean, etc. to ensure animals stay healthy naturally. 
3. In non-organic insecticides are used to reduce insects/pests around the food, whereas in organic they use natural sourced pesticides such as traps to kill the insects/pests. 

After reading that, what do you think? Would you pay a little bit more to ensure you are not consuming all of those chemicals? 

All organic food must be certified and will be labelled correctly. Usually you can find organic foods at your local grocery store and sometimes even convenience store. In order for the food to be labelled as organic it has to pass government tests and inspections. This include inspecting the farm to make sure farmers are following all of the guidelines and that they are not "cheating" to make a few extra bucks. You also have to look out for the correct labels. If a label says "100 percent organic" then it is completely organic. Marketers have obtained the right to put a label on food that just says "organic." To the normal consumer this means it is organic but the thing is if it only says "organic" then that means it is only 95 percent organic. There will also be some labels that say "made with organic materials" this means that it is at least 70 percent organic. Marketers are very sneaky and you have to watch out. Matt, Robyn, Kate and I are marketing students, we can tell you from experience. 

Why non-organic?

Think about it, our parents, our grandparents, great grandparents, etc. all ate the food how it was made. They didn't care if it was "environmentally" friendly, they didn't care if anything was sprayed on the food, and lets face it we were the result of all of those generations so clearly they did something right (One could also argue that what they spray on the food now is way worst than back in the day). Up until not too long ago no one knew about organic and no one really cared about it. Farmers did their thing, no one asked questions. One could say why change what isn't broken? Many have tried organic food and said it all goes down the same way and tastes the same, so it is difficult to justify. Many say it is a ploy to get us consumers to spend more.

Why organic?  

Organic is supposed to be the better choice because of the environmental safeness. It is more expensive but some think it is worth the extra. If you have the money to pay the difference then organic might be the way to go, if not then you have some tough budgeting decisions to make. Organic is the "ethical" way to go according to the companies that produce it. Next time you go grocery shopping just compare the prices to see for yourself.  

I am not biased one way or the other. I am writing about this topic from neutral ground and trying to give you the facts from both sides. I am in no way an expert, so it is up to you and whether or not you can justify whether organic is worth it. Just remember that whether it is non-organic or organic, there is no way to know if  the food is being grown properly unless your there when the animal is being raised or plant is being grown. The choice is yours, so tell us which team are you on? TEAM ORGANIC OR TEAM NON-ORGANIC. Please leave a comment with which side you're on. 

Thanks for reading this post, hope you enjoyed it and maybe even learned something. Please feel free to comment and if you need any clarification on anything comment as well, we will get back to you ASAP. Enjoy the rest of your week, and stay tuned for Matt's post tomorrow. FOLLOW us on Twitter @budgetsnacks and LIKE our Facebook page Healthy Students on a Budget !    

Helpful sites: 

Nutrition and Healthy Eating

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- Kurtis