Does organic cost more?

BY NATASHA ZAMBURRO

When social, economic and environmental costs are taken into account, organic foods are not more expensive than their conventional counterparts. For example, when the cost of chemical cleanups and land, water and air pollution are taken into consideration, organic prices more closely reflect the true cost of food. If the health benefits are also considered, for example, organic tomato sauce that contains up to 3 times more lycopene (a cancer-fighting chemical) than non-organic tomato sauce,¹ does that make the organic version cheaper, or more expensive for the same size bottle? When considering the true cost of production and the true value of a superior product, organic is less costly to our health and the health of the planet.