I am always looking for healthy foods.
When CJ was very young, I started eating healthy, but at the time (15 years ago) there weren’t many choices and the foods available were hard to find. I used to be able to buy mail-order vegetables anywhere, as long as they were organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free. So you can imagine how I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I shopped at Whole Foods for the first time. There were so many healthy products. I loved it. When I encouraged people to eat organic after hearing my story, many said it was too expensive.
It’s sad that processed foods are cheaper than organic foods.
In fact, it should be the other way around, because processed food takes longer to produce and requires factories and workers. Unfortunately, most processed foods are cheaper because of the lower quality of the ingredients. This seems unfair and senseless, but it is the reality.
We are just beginning to understand and grasp the need for whole foods.
People today are used to simple convenience foods and want what is readily available. It’s a matter of supply and demand. With fewer and fewer healthy markets and organic farms, there is probably more demand, but less supply, which drives up prices. My cousin, for example, grew up in the 1970s, had many food allergies, and could not eat foods with preservatives. My aunt traveled over 20 kilometers to an organic store to buy simple products like almond butter and whole-grain bread. Fortunately, there are now many stores that sell healthy foods, but they are still expensive.
Buying organic food is now easier and more affordable.
Walmart has partnered with Wild Oats, an organic food company. This means that organic products will be available in almost every region. It also means that organic products will be sold at better prices. Not only will consumers have more choices of where to buy organic products, but the competition should also drive down the prices of organic products. This is a win-win situation for consumers.
The possibility of more organic food is available to everyone makes me very happy.
Wal-Mart’s entry into the organic market means that not only the stereotypical natural food lover but also the average consumer, are demanding organic food. It means that more and more people are aware of the dangers of eating chemically processed and genetically modified foods and want to change their eating habits. The competition between Walmart and the conventional natural food market will increase this awareness. I hope people will look at organic and non-organic products side by side, realize that the costs are the same, and choose organic products. My dream is that people will buy fresh organic produce. Also, organic farmers who grow non-GM products will be more profitable. Some people mistakenly think that organic products cost more so that farmers can make more money.
Organic farming is indeed expensive. Whole Foods has long promoted the idea that it is a buying agent for the customer, not a selling agent for the producer. But unfortunately, the profits from this once revolutionary food-to-fork market are declining as more and more grocery stores want to offer their customers healthier food. My hope is that stores like Walmart will protect the dignity and hard work of these small organic farmers and help them earn more money.
About Author:
Sara has completed her education in marketing and started her career as a digital marketer. She is a content writer by profession. And she would love to add multiple things to her knowledge that she can add to her writing style. She writes about organic food.
