Why shouldn't we pay more for organic food, and we still do it?

 

Why shouldn't we pay more for organic food, and we still do it?

It does not seem fair to pay more for organic food, wine, clothing and personal care products. 

That's the way it is, isn't it?

Farmers who grow organic food face high certification costs and much more labor-intensive activities that organic farming undoubtedly requires. 

In turn, we, as consumers, pay more for such food by opposing the use of pesticides and other chemicals, thus taking care of our body and the environment.

On the other hand, traditional farms are not obliged to pay taxes related to not fully safe methods of growing food. They pay neither for the damage to our health nor for the degradation of farmland. In fact, the government pays traditional farms to continue production in violation of ecological balance due to unprofitable amounts of food that mostly serve as food for the animals on the farm.

Looking for optimal solutions

The government places taxes on tobacco products to discourage citizens from smoking. Tax receipts are used (or at least should) to finance anti-smoking campaigns.

Would it not be a good idea to use such a model for conventional agricultural production methods? 

The revenue could be used to rebuild degraded environments. This would also encourage traditional farms to switch to ecological mode. Such a solution could contribute to the compensation of organic production costs, as a result of which organic products would become more accessible.

It is obvious that reducing pesticides in food production reduces the negative consequences for our body, which in turn reduces costs related to health care. And the more we can save on the doctor's visits, the more we can spend on the purchase of organic products. The government, in turn, would save money for supporting organic farms.

Of course, this is a big simplification. However, thanks to this procedure, we can show how important holistic thinking and long-term planning are. Organic food certification is relatively expensive. As a result, many farmers use organic farming methods but do not pay for certification. In my opinion, for this reason, it is worth choosing not only organic food from supermarkets, but also food bought directly from the farmer.