Organic vegetables are costly – fact or impression?
A common question most folks have is whether organic vegetables are costly, and whether one can afford organic vegetables on an ongoing basis. We did a quick analysis of the additional cost of switching to organic vegetables and how it compares to some of our day to day expenses. Interestingly it appears that the extra cost incurred on organic veggies is trivial and most often, it is a general impression in the mind that they are expensive. Please watch the 60 second video above, on whether organic vegetables are costly, if you prefer that way.
The rupee cost of going Organic
Lets us assume a family of four – two parents and two kids – who consume 20kg of vegetables each month. This is a reasonable estimate based on the daily consumption and possibly a few days of eating out too. Of course, this is only for an indicative calculation and will vary depending on factors such as eating patterns, family size etc.
Assuming an average of Rs. 50 additional cost per kg of organic vegetables over normal vegetables, the increase in vegetables budget would be 20kg x ₹50 = ₹1000 per month.
Comparing organic vegetable cost with day to day spends
Now, what does ₹1000 buy us:
- A family-sized pizza with some toppings from a popular chain costs more than ₹1000.
- An Uber round trip to office within the city might cost ₹500 each way and hence ₹1000.
- A half kg box of assorted sweets exceeds ₹1000.
- Two people at a cinema with some pop corn during the interval easily spend ₹1000.
- A specialist doctor consultation? a conservative bill of ₹1000 plus.
How big is the extra cost for organic vegetables?
Once we start looking at the facts, it is amply clear that the additional expense for a full month’s supply of healthy organic vegetables is as small as a one time indulgence in any of the above spends. What is interesting is that most people seem to accept all the above costs without much thought, while they are are tuned to be affected by even a tiny increase in the cost of vegetables. We are not even discussing the long-term health, nutritional, environmental benefits of consuming healthy, pesticide-free produce – we will reserve that for another post.
So the next time the impression organic vegetables are costly crops up in the mind, please take a pen and paper and do a calculation – you will see organic vegetables are not so expensive after all. Of course, please ensure you are picking your organic produce from really authentic growers such as OrganicSiri.
