Sunday, July 8, 2007

Why Organic is More Expensive

"Next time you see an organic tomato at half-again the price of a conventional one, blame weeds.

More than diseases or hungry insects, weeds account for the high cost of organic crops, farmers and industry experts say. Weeds crowd plants, steal nutrients and cut yields.

Conventional farmers can fight weeds with a menu of proven herbicides. But organic growers rely on hand labor, delicate plowing between rows, even spraying vinegar -- whatever they can come up with.

It all adds to the cost of that tomato in the store."


Read the article