Fatima Ali

Copy Editor

The price of organic food is on the rise every year, yet more and more families are choosing to “go organic”. People on a budget, especially college students, are still on the fence about whether organic is worth the extra bucks. People who do purchase organic produce and milk state it is worth the money to avoid chemical pesticides and hormones. However, researchers have not reached a definite conclusion to the actual benefits of eating organic.

People in favor of organic food argue lack of conclusive research does not debunk one’s common sense: avoid harmful chemicals found in pesticides. Others have claimed that organic produce tastes better and contain higher levels of phenoic acids (antioxidants). Even if organic is healthier, it is still very expensive. This is predominantly due to the lack of subsidies for organic farmers. Organic supporters say that the government should do more to help out these farmers and cut costs for the consumer.

Naysayers to organic food say that because there is little evidence supporting it, it is not worth the hole in your wallet. Some estimates say that organic alternatives cost up to 40% more than their conventional counterparts. There is evidence, however, that the amount of chemicals in non-organic foods is too low to affect consumer health.

We will not know the long-term effects of eating non-organic or organic foods for a while. However, what we do know is that we need to eat more unprocessed foods, and that is definitely a valuable investment.