No, it’s a far bigger problem. It’s the fact that everyone can’t buy organic. It’s an odd thought isn’t it? I mean everything was organic at one time. People farmed. They ate the food they grew, or they got the food from somewhere in their town. There didn’t have to be labels that said “organic” just to make sure the consumer knew that in fact their product was not dumped with unnatural ingredients, hormones, and pesticides.
I’m not even talking about location here. Organic foods are popping up everywhere and are becoming more popular than ever. The problem lies in the price. Not just the price of what it costs to buy something organic, but also what it costs to not buy something organic.
It just costs more to eat natural food. All the chips, cookies, hormone induced meat is just cheaper. The 79¢ bag of chips at the grocery store is going to be a much better sell than the broccoli. In a good or bad economy the healthier food is less accessible to the poor. In a market that says this food is going to be cheaper than that food, this food will always win. What needs to change? First off, the market needs to change so that organic or natural foods can not only compete against others but even be cheaper. Only then will true accessibility to organics be possible. Does this mean that people would switch to healthy alternatives?
Certainly not. Comfort foods aren’t called that for nothing. There is a culture of fast food, junk food, etcetera, and those don’t just go away because of price much like a law may not stop people from talking on their cell phone while driving. Thirdly, in America food is a low priority on people’s plates. Good food will always be trumped for a cell phone, cable television, music, DVDs, computers, video games, or movies. So, until the idea of food over luxury is met nutrition will always be on the bottom of the pyramid.
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