GOOD NEWS ! Organic food to be cheaper than other produce

[seeing clearly]

Organic food to be cheaper than other produce

Organic food could become cheaper than other produce as a result of the rising cost of oil, according to a report.






By Graham Tibbetts
Last Updated: 2:58PM BST 02 Sep 2008

It is currently regarded as a luxury purchase by shoppers, who have been forced to turn to lower cost, intensively-farmed produce by the economic downturn.

But a study suggests that the price of oil could soon make cereal crops grown with fertilisers more expensive than those produced more naturally.

Industrial farming relies on fossil fuels to mine, manufacture and transport fertilisers which replace nutrients in the soil.

Organic farming, however, improves soil fertility through crop rotations and is less affected by oil prices.

With oil predicted to reach $200 a barrel within five to 10 years, the profit margin on organic wheat, barley and oil seed rape would be as much as £411.

This compares with up to £348 for the same crops produced by non-organic methods, according to the study by Andersons, the farm business consultants.

Peter Melchett, policy director of the Soil Association which promotes organic farming, said: "This study suggests that as oil inevitably becomes scarcer and costs more, economic forces will increasingly favour organic farming.

"Organic systems are not perfect, but they do use less energy, generally emit fewer greenhouse gases, can sequester carbon in the soil, provide more jobs and support more wildlife. This report suggests they could also offer a more secure long-term financial future for the UK's farmers."

Organic farming is backed by Prince Charles, who has one on his Highgrove estate.

The report comes a week after organic food sales were reported to have dropped by 20 per cent in the past eight months to £81 million in August.

Charles Bourns, chairman of the NFU's poultry board, said: "I was talking to someone in the NFU and they were saying it's happening in beef and everywhere, because at the end of the day it's a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have."



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...r-produce.html




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[Reunite]

So why choose Organic food?

If you are eating non-organic food good chances you are eating Genetically modified cancer causing chemicals. These include herbicides, pesticidies, insecticides, fungicides to name a few. Then you have the animals fed growth hormones,anti-microbials, antibiotics and other veterinary drugs.
Research has shown that 30 percent of insecticides, 60 percent of herbicides and 90 percent of fungicides are known to cause cancer. These chemicals can also lead to nervous and endocrine problems.

The food tastes much better! Organic food is enriched with vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They are especially higher in antioxidants.

You are also supporting small farmers who choose not to spray poison on our foods.

Ever since I made the swap to organic foods I have been much healthier and clear headed...there is a hugh difference.


BTW I wouldn't be eating any organic food coming from Prince Charles' farm

[pineal-pilot-in merkabah]

we grow our own food for oursleves thats what this site is about. being self sufficient

under codex we couldnt get organic food eventually and it would be tuff to certify once the unleash gmo en masse. the world has a few days of food stocks left.. as in each country has empty food banks and are on deliveries and movement of food. when the economy collapses there will be billions starving.. we grow it on our own for free for ourlseves as best we can!!

[Theresa]

also, if the economy and bankruptcy of fed gov forces the end of subsidies to non-organic and animal agriculture then for sure the costs of organic will be lower in comparison.

[OnePissedOffSaint]

I shall have to keep my eye out at my local Wholefoods.. It's funnY I was just trying to talk a friend of mine to switching to All or mostly organic because of his health problems and he remarked he is too broke to to buy all that fancy food. It is so sad today that healthy food costs more, at least around these parts....

[Shellie]

This is great news! Back in Michigan, organic foods cost about 4 times more than the "regular" stuff and the average person just could not afford them (apples were $2.99/lb, a gallon of milk was $8.99 and free-range brown eggs were $5.99). Here in Texas it is a little better... only twice as much. But the local supermarkets regularly have great sales on organic produce that bring the cost down WELL below "regular" produce. I choose to buy there rather than Whole Foods (which is headquartered here) in order to encourage the local supermarkets to buy more organic in order to help bring down the price so that organic foods can be more accessible to the average family.

[pineal-pilot-in merkabah]

i love austin one of my favourite cities in the usa. i used to sit outside wholefoods and have breakfast a lot.. it is indeed expensive. i think codex gets implimented in europe first. usa seems to have better supplement laws still to.