Why is organic food more expensive?

Why is organic food more expensive?

The main reason that organic food is more expensive is because it costs more to produce. Animal welfare standards for organic food are very high, so you need more land and more labour to ensure that you're meeting those standards. Things like raw materials are more expensive. Organic seeds are more expensive - there are less around. The costs of certification for organic food are also a factor; it is very costly to send someone out into the farm and spend all day checking the records. Organic food does cost more to produce. Having said that, there are no hidden costs in organic, so we're not causing the £120 million that it costs to take pesticides out of water and other costs such as the loss of rural communities. Organic farms actually employ more people than non-organic. There are lots of hidden costs involved in non-organic food. Organic food doesn't have to be more expensive. It depends on the way that you buy it. If you buy organic food directly from a farmer, from a box scheme or at a farmer's market, lots of studies have shown that it is actually the same price or even cheaper than non-organic food through cutting out the middleman.