How do you like them apples?
Who wouldn’t choose to eat organic food all the time if it was affordable and readily available?
Aside from Al Clarke, who made his thoughts on the subject known in last week’s Echo, many people make an effort to make the healthier choice for themselves and their families.
The barrier to organic food for many people is the cost.
The masses are getting hip to fact that yeah, we are better off not being completely pickled by the bad stuff that ends up in our food but it feels to some that the organic section of the grocery store, in its own display case, is exclusive to those in a higher tax bracket.
We know it’s better for us but psychologically it is so hard to spend that extra money on organic food when we are already spending a small fortune on groceries.
Some people grow up eating fresh, local, organic. Back in the day those people had hippie parents. Their garlic came in bulbs, not powder.
There’s another demographic who endured Wagon Wheels in their lunchbox and Chees Whiz in the fridge at home. To them, the organic movement was a revelation and they have been struggling ever since to keep up and not get suckered.
As consumers, we may be hell-bent on making sure we come home with organic canned tomatoes but we forgot to be outraged about the Bisphenol A coating inside the can. It’s no wonder that we sometimes feel overwhelmed and even duped so we give up and revert to our bad eating habits and shopping practices.
With thousands of media messages coming at us everyday, it’s surprising that people are brave enough to put anything in their mouths, for fear they will get cancer.
If price made organic products more of a realistic choice for people, there would be an uptick in the way we eat but it seems there are in some cases legitimate reasons why organic food is more expensive, including additional labour costs.
And while we may relax the rules for ourselves here and there, it is not uncommon for parents to be adamant that their children eat only the best and safest food. It’s easier to justify spending twice the normal price for a banana if it is for a small child, they don’t eat that much.
Chances are though, a family of five with three ravenous teenagers who eat like horses are not going to be opting for a grocery cart loaded with organics, unless they have a lot of disposable income. Once again the privilege of good health is reserved for those who can afford it, which is the saddest part of the whole organic vs other conversation.
Healthier? Better for the planet? No argument here.
The go-to for a family that can barely put three meals on the table each day? Not likely.
