Posts

Showing posts from May, 2019

The Organic Food Industry: Good for the Environment, Bad for Consumers?

Image
Over the past two decades, the organic food industry has gone from a niche sector to market dominance. What was once available in limited options and at sky-high prices can now be found in mainstream grocery stores around the world. The sector is growing, and is expected to continue its growth trend well into the coming years. With this explosive growth comes significant challenges, particularly in consumer confidence that organic foods are adhering to the high standards that kicked off the organic foods movement. Organic Foods are Big Business Organic farming practices – those that shun the use of artificial fertilizers, growth hormones, and pesticides – began in the early 1960s. It was an idealistic movement, spurred by concern for healthy lifestyles and environmental protection. For the next 30 years, organic farmers operated on a relatively small scale, providing products to local grocery stores and supplying boutique food products manufacturers. In the 1990s, consumer int