On the food network and in a lot of other places media buzz is that "organic is better". Recent researchers have tried to find the proof that organic food is healthier than conventionally produced food. The researchers have found that organic has the same nutrient value as conventional food. All that said, organic food production continues to grow. Is the reason concern for consumer health, or profit? In reading this Prairie Farmer article, Page 8 , Page 9 it looks like profit can be a key motivator for the producers. Holly Spangler concentrates on nutrition in another article that is related.
I maintain that farming is a business and as such, there is no shame in taking advantage of consumer fads or tastes including the organic craze. If a farmer can make more money growing organic, I am all for it. In addition, I think there is merit in preserving those "old" methods of farming in practice and not just in books. I think we can all learn something from each other regarding farming methods.
As a consumer I am hard pressed to use my scarce dollars to pay a premium for a product that is not necessarily superior. I have no problem however with consumers having that choice. We are fortunate to have a lot of discretion in how we spend our money and it is good that we do. One size fits all is not what we want whether in cars, computers, smart phones, housing, or a lot of other things.
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