1. Organic vs. Conventional
By: Elissa Hernandez
Contemporary Diet and Nutrition
Mark Maule HW220-01
August 16, 2011

2. Project Overview What is Organic Food? What is Conventional Food?
How easy is it to find Organic Food?
How are Organic Foods Labeled?
What is the Cost Differences?

3. What is Organic Food?
Organic is the way farmers grow and process agriculture products such as.
Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Dairy Products
Meat
Farmers who grow organically do not use conventional methods to fertilize. For example:
Rather than using weed killer, organic farmers use sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.

4. What is Conventional Food?
Conventional farms produce food with varying levels of chemical fertilizers.
Conventional Farmers Apply:
Chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth
Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease
Use herbicides to manage weeds
Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth

5. How Easy Is It To Find Organic Food?
Organic foods can be found anywhere in big cities. Such as:
Mainstream grocery stores
Local grocery stores
Farmers Markets
Co-Ops
Organic Foods that can be found in smaller areas:
May be harder to find
May have to travel to bigger cities
Look for local farmers

6. How are Organic Foods Labeled?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.
To use the phrase “%100 Organic,” products must be either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
Products must be at least 95 percent organic to use this term.

7. What Is The Cost Difference?
Organic Products From a Local Store Conventional
Apples = $1.99 pound $1.99 pound
Grapes = $3.49 package $1.69 package
Bananas = $1.29 pound $.99 pound
Potatoes = $.89 pound $.89 pound
Basil = $3.99 package $2.29 package
Celery = $.99 each $.89 each
Nectarines = $1.29pound $1.99 pound
Strawberry = $3.99 package $2.39 package

8. What Is The Cost Difference?
Organic Products From a Mainstream Store Conventional
Apples = $2.99 pound $1.99 pound
Grapes = $3.99 package $7.99 package
Bananas = $.99 pound $.68 pound
Potatoes = $1.33 pound $.49 pound
Peaches = $3.99 package $3.99 package
Celery = $3.99 each $1.99 each

9. What Is The Cost Difference?
The difference between Organic products and Conventional product are not significantly different in the local grocery store. In the Local grocery store they had a wider variety of Organic fruits and vegetables, oppose to the Mainstream grocery store. The Mainstream grocery store had less of a variety of fruits and vegetables and the cost for Organic products was far more expensive than conventional overall.

10. Conclusion
Purchasing and consuming Organic products overall is better for our health, environment and our pockets. Shopping at local grocery stores or farmers markets is most cost effective and also have the most seasonal varieties of fruits and vegetables.

11. References
Mayo Clinic, Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Pictureshttp://
Planet Green, What Is Conventional Food? Willner, Nicole February, 2009