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Running head: ORGANIC FRUIT

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Project Text Essay

Organic Fruit

Paulina Tapia Vasquez

University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

This project is about organic fruit being expensive. Why is it that organic fruit, witch is healthier

for a human bean is sold more expensive that the other fruit. It’s as if the economy is trying to

hurt our bodies or maybe farmers themselves. Also, I’ve found what the fruit expensive, as in thecaring of the fruit the conditions it grows in, etc.

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To think organic fruit is more expensive then conventional fruit is a little contradicting

don’t you think? We should be helping each other out, changing the ugly habits we have within

eating and stuffing out bodies with pure, clean, healthy fruit. It is more then chemical free fruit

what consist of organic fruit, it comes with the demand overwhelming the supply, the

certification for organic fruit, and the demand of labor. When organic fruit is healthier then non- organic fruit, it should be less expensive/more attainable. However as of right now, it is more expensive because of the demand and supply, the certification needed, and the labor that goes into it. Agricultural subsidy is a governmental fund that pays farmers to grow their crops. Organic.org(2007). This is usually seen with corn, oats, cotton, milk, meat, pork etc. But this fund is given to conventional farms. Which makes the food non organic. This is one of the main reasons why organic fruit is so expensive, because organic farmers don not receive this fund. The supply and demand, labor, and certification needed comes in hand. A great example to help understand this situation was stated by Gina Lawrence(2014), if conventional farmers produced more then what the sold that be a lost of assets but since the government is giving these farmers that subsidy no money is actually lost due to the fund.

As no chemicals are used, the labor increases needing more works at the plantation.

Organic.org(2007), stated that farmers that do not grow organic fruit are considered “conventional farmers.” That means that those farmers who use chemicals and synthetic pesticides that make the fruit grow faster and more efficiently, no workers are needed to do daily check ups on neither the fruits, nor a worker to do hand weeding The Daily Meal.( March 11, 2012). Since these employees need to be paid out of the farmers pockets without the help of the government, the cost of the organic crop becomes more expensive then conventional crops. Adding on, the workers must set traps for pests, in comparison to conventional farms that use chemicals to kill the pests. Also, the

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organic fruit/food needs a pattern rotation that consists of legumes or other nitrogen-fixing crops, The Daily Meal.( March 11, 2012). Workers also do that; basically there are employees on the land for most of the day every day.

As the demand over whelms the supply, organic products typically cost 20 percent to 100

percent more than their conventionally produced equivalents was stated by The Daily Meal.( March 11, 2012). The supply of organic fruit is limited in comparison to the demand. There are only .9 percent of farmlands that produce organic food in the world. This also has to do with how fast the organic fruit is produced in, since no chemicals are used it takes longer for it to grow. People like to buy things that are quick and available. Organic fruit could be available as quick as non organic but since the wages of the employees that work of organic farmers are expensive the farmers themselves can not pay off to more employees then what they already have to make profit. The subsidy that the government give the conventional farmers affects the organic industry in many ways. Also, Organic farmers do not receive federal funds like conventional farmers do, so that is anther a decrease of gross on the organic fruit. Also, the cleanups for farming are paid though taxes, and since organic farmers do not receive federal funds that means the farm cleanups must be done out of their pockets stated by Chat(2010).

Organic fruit isn’t just defined by the zero chemicals/fertilizers, but by the organic

certification from USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Felton(2012). So we’ve mentioned the demands, the chemicals and the labor, but how about a certification. An application must be filled out to the USDA and to the NOP and of course must be approved. In order for the fruit/food to be sold as organic it must have a certification. Felton(2012) stated that this certification cost around 400 to 2000 dollars a year. It’s not only cheep but hard too. The USDA gives these farmers certain standers to follow also, daily strictly daily record keeping of the plantation. Once a certification is

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issued, it must be renewed yearly paying a fee each time.

Some counter arguments to organic fruit is on the demand. Gabe stated, “The main

argument for growing conventional food is how quick it can produce food.” The necessity food

is to the society is clearly huge. Without the fertilizers and chemicals put into the fruit/food time

must be spent to let the fruit grow. Another argument, which is the main argument, is how cheep

conventional fruit/food is. Not everyone can afford the cost of organic fruit/food.

I find it disappointing that organic fruit/food is more expensive than conventional food

but after doing this research I’ve understood so many things I didn’t before. There is so much

time putting into the organic plantations and money for just one simple fruit. It’s a simple circle once you think about it, government gives money to the unhealthy food, that production is fasters, the demand is higher, the labor decreases, and no certification is needed. All this revolving around the subsidy that the government funds the non organic farmers. If you put yourself in the shoes of the organic farmer you understand why he/she sells his product at a high rate. He/she, just like any other human bean is finding a way to live and make profit of his/her living without the fund of the government . If making some fruit or meat more expensive that conventional food is what must be done to eat without chemicals, so be it. As they say, “good stuff doesn’t come easy.”

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Sources

Acata Felton(2012). Is Organic Produce Worth Your Hard-Earned Green?: SAGE. © 2014

Stanford University. <https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=46697>

Jennifer Chat(2010). Basic Steps to USDA Organic Certification: An easy explanation of the

organic certification process. © 2014 About.com.

http://organic.about.com/od/achievecertification/tp/Basic-Steps-To-Usda-Organic-

Certification.htm

Organic.org(2007). Organic Myths: Myth: Organic food is too expensive. © 2014 Foerstel

Design. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-207

Parnes, Robin Brett. "How Organic Food Works" 01 August 2002. HowStuffWorks.com.

<http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/organic-food.htm> 09

November 2014.

The Daily Meal.( March 11, 2012). 10 reasons organic food is so expensive: FOOD & DRINK.

©2014 FOX News Network, LLC. http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/03/11/10-reasons-

organic-food-is-so-expensive/