Since learning that 60 to 70 percent of the food we consume in the U.S. is genetically modified, I’ve been seeking out organic food almost exclusively, as it is prohibited from containing GMO ingredients. Some stores, like Trader Joe’s, are full of organic options. Others, like Fresh and Easy, not so much. Grocery stores tend to have a pretty decent selection. But invariably, no matter where I find organic food, it’s always more expensive than the conventional, chemically-treated option, so I’ve had to re-work my food budget accordingly. Yes, it leaves a little less for my savings, but I know my health and planet are richer for it in the long-run.

What a travesty, that chemically-treated food is considered “conventional.” For millions of years, organic was the norm, which begs the question:

If organic agriculture methods are so tried-and-true, why is it so expensive?

Mint.com outlines the three main reasons there is such a price difference between organic and chemically-treated food – a price difference of as much as 20 to 100 percent! These reasons are summarized below.

1) Subsidies. The U.S. government heavily favors chemical farmers with subsidies that help cover the cost of production, enabling them to charge less to consumers.

2) Economies of scale. Farmers who use chemicals and GMO seeds to repel insects and grow crops faster see higher yields than organic farmers, whose alternative methods take more time and money, like natural soil fertilization and higher animal welfare standards (i.e., no antibiotics or growth hormones). Successful farming under these natural conditions requires more oversight (i.e., labor). Plus, organic farmers lose more of their crops than conventional farmers do.

3) High associated costs. There is a cost associated with having food certified organic. Plus, organic farmers tend to operate further outside of cities than chemical farmers, thus increasing the cost of transporting food to market.

Unfortunately, the added expense of organic is more than most Americans are willing to accept. As Mint.com points out, less than 10 percent of us seek out organic food on a regular basis. Yet that is precisely what is going to keep prices high. As with anything else, the greater the demand, the lower the cost. We may have to pay more for organic food now, but the impact of chemically-treated GMO foods on our bodies and the earth will cost far more in the long-run.

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