Crops grown organically are more vulnerable to pests and disease. It is also more labour intensive and farmers pay more for organic animal feed. Because organic food costs more to produce, it’s more expensive for consumers to buy. But Government subsidies have focused on mainstream farming, keeping the price of conventional foods low in comparison.
With pressure on our food supplies coming from the demand for bio-fuels, worldwide there is a shortage of cereal. The UK has to import more than 50 per cent of organic livestock feed, and feed prices have been going up. That in turn affects the price farmers have to charge for meat, milk, eggs and bread, whether organic or not.
Buying locally produced organic food direct via a box scheme or farmers' market is a 'greener' way to shop and is better value. It can be argued that there are hidden costs in conventional, chemical-dependent farming. We pay to tackle the pollution of our water supplies, caused by artificial fertilizers, at a cost of about £120m a year, through our taxes and higher water bills rather than at the checkout.

The jury is out on whether organic food tastes better. Organic chickens live longer than battery chickens and the taste is incomparable. Organic chickens also live longer than most free-range birds although there is arguably little or no difference in flavour and quality.
But food that isn't certified as organic can also be produced to equally high standards with taste as a priority. For example, top quality grass-fed and free-range beef might not be certified as organic because of the expense and inconvenience involved in ensuring that all the pasture on which the herd grazes has received organic certification. When it comes to taste and quality, organic food isn't necessarily the be all and end all.
Organic certification does give a guarantee that food has been responsibly produced with consideration for the environment, the highest animal welfare standards and careful crop management. Buying locally produced food with a minimum of packaging, through a box scheme or farmers' market should give you the reassurance that you are supporting more-sustainable agriculture.

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