Should You Buy Organic?

Organic farms are growing in this country. They provide 2% of the nation's food supply and take up less than 1% of its cropland. Over the past decade, the market for organic food has grown by 15 to 20% every year. According to Geoffrey Cowley, nearly 40% of U.S. consumers now reach occasionally for something labeled organic. Sales expect to top $22 billion this year. New government rules define organic products. Any food sold as organic must meet criteria set by the United States Department of Agriculture. the new organic is all about bigger farms, heartier crops, better distribution, and slicker promotion. Most consumers think organic means healthier. No one had found a way to determine whether people eating well-balanced organic diets are healthier than those eating a well-balanced conventional diet. Marketing research suggest that organic food is no healthier than other food, but that flavor was the biggest difference and the difference is huge. So, apparently the jury is still out on the organic debate.