Organic Vs. Your Wallet

THE RESULTS ARE IN! This was a delicious project! 
Rumor has it pesticide, hormone and fertilizer free organic products are more expensive than the mass produced alternative. Locally grown and raised organic products are proven to be healthier than products treated with steroids or ones that have been genetically modified. 

I know we understand the positive impact organic products have, now I have to convince you that just because the rumors may be true, the fact of the matter is, 20 cents is just that when you know you are not putting poisons and chemicals into your body. 

The Questions: 
Are organic products more expensive then non organic?

Where can you get the best price for the best quality ingredients? 

I explored five different food suppliers that are common to the public. Keep in mind I stayed between North York and York region and limited my search to five popular grocery stores and markets, including Highland Farms, Longos, Loblaws, and two farmers markets. 

The Results:
It is not a myth, organic products are generally more expensive. However there are exceptions. In some cases I found products to have exactly the same price as its organic counterpart and other times I saw organic to be less expensive. 

I bought 10 items from Highland Farms and compared the prices to the non organic items.
Generally, if the items were more expensive it was between .25 to $1.00.

Chicken had the greatest difference. 
Organic: $7.00/lb, non-organic $5.00/lb 
(For two dollars more, you see that the chickens are raised and fed with completely different standards compared to when they are not organic, all that and a difference in flavour). 

Organic juice, flour and mini carrots were less expensive, and yogurt had the same price of $3.99.
After purchasing 10 organic items from Highland Farms I found my bill was $7.40 more expensive than if I had purchased non organic items.
                           organic $38.91
                     non organic $31.51
I compared that bill to what I would have paid at Longos
                           organic $38.71
                     non organic $31.13 a differnce of $7.58

For the best organic prices go to 
1) Highland farms (Large range and lowest prices)
2) Longos (Good quality, but the prices are higher so the difference between organic and non organic is less)
3) Loblaws
4) Farmers Markets (Prices are a little high based on the handling process and high quality of food)

Other grocery stores that carry organic products are Metro, Fresh Co., H-Mart and Sobey's. They all vary in prices and diversity of foods. Different areas are heavily influenced by the predominant local culture, which allows for even more flavor in the kitchen. 

It is not a surprise that these clean food products are slightly more expensive. As hungry customers we are paying for crop rotations, higher animal welfare standards and a restricted use of chemicals, leading to lower yields, which means organic foods costs more to produce. 
As the organic industry develops and technologies are improved, the cost of organic food should decrease as yields increase and production costs decrease. THAT MEANS THE MORE ORGANIC PRODUCTS YOU BUY THE SOONER THE PRICES WILL DECREASE (unlike the cost of non organic food products which are suggested to increase by 2013 up to four per cent). 

A.R.T. Creations suggests 
If you really want organic food that is friendly to your wallet, the best place to go is your own backyard. Start a small vegetable and fruit garden. The convenience and taste will be well worth it. 

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