Organic September is a month-long campaign run by the Soil Association, to raise awareness of the many benefits of organic food and farming. We look at the prices of regular food items and their organic alternatives to see which have the highest and lowest price increases…
We are often led to believe that buying organic produce always costs substantially more than buying non-organic items. But now researchers from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed that this is not always the case.
While some organic foods see a massive 227% rise, others only have a 1% price increase. So if you want to shop more ethically whilst keeping your food bill low, which items are worth going organic for?
What makes organic food different?
Organic food is grown or farmed without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. This also means that organic livestock raised for meat, eggs, and dairy products must have access to the outdoors and be given organic feed.
As a result, organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients. Plus, people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen when they eat only organic food. But these benefits can also mean that organic produce is more expensive.
Is organic food always pricier?
Shoppers might think that all organic products come with a price increase that’s steep enough to prevent them ever considering shopping more ethically, but NetVoucherCodes ’ research proves this isn’t always the case.
They looked at the prices of 17 typical organic and non-organic food items in three major supermarkets to work out an average cost. They then calculated the price increases between organic and non-organic produce…
The organic products with the lowest price increases included a tub of organic white mushrooms, seeing only a 1% increase. Other food products that saw the lowest price increase for organic varieties included onions, houmous, and even milk. A packet of organic salted butter is usually only around 30p more expensive.
The most expensive food item to buy organic is – perhaps unsurprisingly – a whole chicken. Organic varieties cost a whopping £10.97 on average, compared to just £3.35 to buy normally.
Organic baked beans are typically 140% more expensive than regular tins, and bell peppers have a 97% price increase.
Check out the table below for the full findings of their investigation!
Should you make the swap?
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Deciding whether to watch your wallet or shop ethically doesn’t always have to be a major trade off.
“As our research shows, you can make better decisions on the food you buy and eat without spending a fortune.
“If you swap just three or four items for their organic alternatives in your grocery shop each week, it could cost you as little as 93p more.
“Certain products are also going to cost lots more to produce organically, and these prices are reflected in their price tag. Even an organic bag of carrots is roughly about 83% more expensive than a regular bag.
“But for others – like mushrooms, milk and onions – the price difference is relatively minimal, yet the quality and taste of the food is likely much better.”
Click here to see our favourite organic brands for Organic September!
