There are many claims that people make about organic farming. It is supposed to be healthier, more environmentally friendly, and better for farmers. Basically, we’re told that it’s better than industrial farming.
However, it’s not always friendly to your wallet, as organic produce almost always costs more than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. A report from the USDA noted that the organic food premium varied between 15% for onions and carrots (meaning that organic onions cost 15% more than conventional onions) to 82% for eggs and 109% for skim milk.
Organic farming is more labor-intensive than conventional farming. … Many organic farms are scattered, smaller operations, so they may not be able to make use of farm mechanization to the extent that large conventional farms can.
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Organic farms, by definition, do not use synthetic chemicals. However, they do use naturally occurring chemicals and certain organic-approved chemicals. …
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The difference between synthetic pesticides and organic-approved pesticides is that synthetic pesticides are more specific and require fewer sprays. On the other hand, organic pesticides like dimethoate, pyrethrum, azadirachtin, and copper sulfate are more generalized and require multiple sprays, all of which add to labor costs.
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In spite of the multiple pesticide sprays, organic crops can still be lost to pest and disease infestation and farmers may lose an entire crop. This is a huge loss to farmers that will need to be adjusted for somewhere in the sales of the other crops.
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An extensive meta-analysis of 362 published studies from 43 countries with 67 crops on organic and conventional farm yields concluded that organic farms, on average, yield 20% less than conventional farms.
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In spite of their increasing popularity, organic produce continues to be a relatively niche product targeted toward urban elites. Many consumers are willing to pay more for organic products for the perceived health and environmental benefits, but the price jump puts organic produce beyond reach of the average middle-class consumer.
