By Stephanie Rubio

Staff Writer

  From farmer markets to your local grocery store, the label reading ‘organic’ is seen everywhere and often means increased prices. Organic food is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as fruits or vegetables that are “certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances such as synthetic pesticides.” Although organic goods have allegedly become a sign of health in our society, they are simply stickers that identify those who have the luxury of paying extra for produce.

  It is imperative that we realize that the production of organic food is affecting our pockets and environment while doing nothing for our health. Americans are funneling their hard earned money into companies that are taking advantage of their trust to support a $29 billion dollar industry. According to the Consumer Report, an American business magazine, organic goods are 47% more expensive than regular produce, which is extremely overpriced for the money that goes into growing these goods.

  Americans are wasting their money on produce because of a plastic sticker without realizing that organic and regular goods are not as different as companies make them out to be. Stanford University ran a study in 2012 to see the difference between organic vegetables and conventionally grown vegetables. After the study concluded, it was revealed that they were identical in nutrition and taste.

  Not only is organic produce equal in sustenance and overpriced, it tends to spoil faster than their counterparts. In 1980, a program called National Program Organic created the standards that farmers must follow before labeling a product as organic. The common belief is that farmers are not using fertilizers or pesticides in the production of organic vegetables and fruits.

  Farmers are still using both but the pesticides and fertilizers are labeled as ‘organic’. Ironically, the University of Feulph found that these organic pesticides tend to be more harmful to the environment than those which are not labeled organic. In 2014, the USDA ran an Organic Survey which tested the difference of productivity between organic farms and conventional farms.

  The survey revealed that there is a gap between the two, organic farms are producing less than conventional farms while at the cost of the environment, water, and money. As Former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman stated to Detroit News, “an organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is ‘organic’ a value judgment about nutrition or quality.”

  It is essential that companies are forced to be transparent when selling organic foods, which includes disclosing what the costs that come with purchasing their produce are. Americans should know where their money is going and whether or not these prices are worth the amount of nutrition they are receiving, until then, Americans should avoid buying organic food.