Organic Carrots (© Photographer: Rebekah Burgess | Agency: Dreamstime.com)

As advocates of organic food we’re glad to hear we’ve got a lot of company when it comes to recognizing its benefits. Yes, it is more expensive and some small farmers and producers find the cost of getting officially certified to be prohibitive. But we believe organic food is more flavorful, more nutritious, safer from contamination, and a much better choice for a sustainable environment.

We’re far from alone in our views. Health News Digest has reported on the findings of a Harris Poll of 2,392 adults. The report states,

Those who buy organic food regularly are still a small minority, but a growing one. Organic food is seen by most people as safer, better for the environment and healthier, but more expensive. Most organic food buyers overwhelmingly believe it tastes better and is worth the extra cost.

The people who buy organic food, whether regularly or occasionally, are six times more likely to have increased their spending on organic food rather than to have cut back. The Health News Digest report goes on to conclude,

The many people who have positive attitudes to organic food suggest that the increase in consumption of organic food is likely to continue and, in a few years time, could account for a much larger share of the food market.

Americans are not alone in preferring food grown without pesticides. A Japanese publication, The Asahi Shimbun, reports,

Plenty of consumers are keen to purchase organically grown vegetables and rice. According to a survey by the (Japanese) Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2004, 42 percent of respondents said they would like to purchase organic produce in the future. Combined with those who said they would do so "if the price comes down," 94 percent were inclined to go organic.

The Asahi Shimbun quotes Kiichi Nakajima, Professor at Ibaraki University and chair of Japan's Research Association for Organic Agriculture, as saying,

Agriculture is now at a major turning point where it must undergo a change to become sustainable, in complete balance with the environment. For Japan, the best path forward is organic farming that values the works of life, while decreasing the burdens on the environment.

To read the report in Health News Digest cited above go to: Large Majorities See Organic Food as Safer, Better for the Environment And Healthier — But Also More Expensive

To read the report from The Asahi Shimbun cited above go to: Eating green

To view previous posts on the topic click on the following:

1. Going Organic in Scotland

2. Good News for a Future of Organic Food