Do you think organic products will ever go down in price? We have

[MJN]

made a few steps towards organic, but we certainly can't afford all organic. I was thinking I had read that organic milk prices would go down soon, but I haven't seen that where I shop. WE LOVE ORGANIC MILK!

[melissel]

Probably a little bit, but not much, I think. With the growing demand and consumption, I think there's not much reason for producers to lower their prices significantly. And those that do offer lower prices usually do so because their practices are not truly organic/sustainable--for example, Horizon, which is owned by one of the (if not the) largest conventional dairy producer in the country, and whose practices have been called into question repeatedly. (Which is not to say I don't buy their products--my kids could live on Horizon American cheese, but still...) And many fear that as the larger, mainstream companies (which are the ones that would likely offer lower prices) get more involved in the organic foods/products industry, they'll bring their considerable weight to bear on the federal organic standards, effectively decreasing them to make their margins better.

 

ETA that we buy organic eggs and milk, because they're easy to get, but we generally can't afford organic meat. I try to stick to natural (grass-fed, no antibiotics, no hormones etc.) meat, but even that's expensive. I consider it an investment in our long-term health, but it's definitely hard. And I love organic milk too. I hated milk all my life. It's only since I discovered organic milk that I can enjoy drinking a nice cold glass of milk!

[Susan M in WA]

I am about 2/3 of the way through reading Omnivore's Dilemma. It won't truly answer your question or if it does - not the way you would like, but the book is fascinating.

 

In the middle of the book, the author addresses some of the practices of Whole Foods. The CEO of Whole Foods along with several other company officers wrote a very lengthy and detailed response that includes their philosophy of organic.

 

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/socialmedia/jmackey/2006/05/26/an-open-letter-to-michael-pollan/

 

We typically purchase milk and eggs from a local dairy, but have not fully explored what it means to feed almost all organic to our family.

[melissel]

I am about 2/3 of the way through reading Omnivore's Dilemma. It won't truly answer your question or if it does - not the way you would like, but the book is fascinating.

 

In the middle of the book, the author addresses some of the practices of Whole Foods. The CEO of Whole Foods along with several other company officers wrote a very lengthy and detailed response that includes their philosophy of organic.

 

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/socialmedia/jmackey/2006/05/26/an-open-letter-to-michael-pollan/

 

We typically purchase milk and eggs from a local dairy, but have not fully explored what it means to feed almost all organic to our family.

 

Thanks for that link, that was very informative. I know some people consider Whole Foods suspect. Unfortunately, it's often my best source for organic or natural foods, even in NJ. For example, we have a local producer of organic poultry, but they want $5.99 A POUND for organic whole chickens. :( That's just not going to happen in this house, unfortunately. I can go to WF and buy natural, humanely raised chicken for $2.xx a pound, which is still a lot, but which satisfies my commitment and my budget. I'm happy to see their response to the issues raised.

[Brigitte]

I don't think the prices are going to come down, because the price of everything is going up. However, I did notice that difference between the price of regular milk and organic milk has lessened. For instance store brand lactose free milk was priced at $3.68 for a half gallon. Lactaid was on sale for $3.64 and Organic Valley lactose free was on sale for $3.74 (neither was a significan markdown). The store brands was less than $3 last year.

 

Brigitte

[Colleen]

I almost hate to say this because the last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from supporting sustainable agriculture, but I don't foresee organic food prices going down any time in the near future. Conventional food price increases have actually outpaced those of organics this past year, though, so to that end, the cost differential may be less significant. (As Brigitte noted in another reply here.)

 

Regarding dairy prices, inputs have risen as feed prices (for livestock) are phenomonally high and the cost of transportation has risen. As well, Organic Valley is committed to supporting the sustainability of not only the environment, but of the farmers who work within that environment. To that end, OV provides a stable, self-determined (within the cooperative) pay price that allows members to continue providing consumers with the best product possible. If our product price fluctuated based on economic trends, it would adversely affect our efforts.

[Audrey]

The way you describe OV's payout structure sounds a lot like our dairy and egg boards.

 

Where I am, there doesn't seem to be such a huge difference in prices and what you folks are describing. I can get organic milk, for example, for around 4.99 for a 4 litre jug. Regular milk is 4.29. Organic produce is a few cents more as well. I suppose the biggest jump comes when you compare pre-packaged, processed foods. Those labeled "organic" cost considerably more, but I have a very hard time even calling most of those processed products "food," let alone "organic food."