The most common reason that people give for not buying organic food is its price. But there’s a reason why organic food costs more than conventional—and it’s worth your money.

The USDA organic label is the gold standard for food, with strict guidelines from the National Organic Program about what can and cannot be done on an organic farm. These guidelines are regularly enforced through annual inspections and audits of organic farms. By buying organic, you ensure your food matches your ideals, and only at a slightly higher price point. OFA’s farmer members are committed to producing the healthiest and most ecologically responsible food, and advocate to make sure that organic policies maintain the highest level of quality. Here are some of the main reasons why buying organic is well worth your money:

“Organic produce is the cleanest and healthiest food on the planet,” said Loretta Adderson, a Georgia organic farmer and retired nutritionist on OFA’s Governing Council. “They follow National Organic Program standards and endure annual on-farm inspections at their cost.”

Instead of using pesticides to control weeds, farmworkers at Adderson’s Fresh Produce hand-weed their crops. “This manual hands-on process provides our customers the tastiest organic produce available in the community,” Adderson said.

Organic Meat & Milk avoids antibiotics and growth hormones. 

A recent study comparing conventional and organic milk showed that organic milk samples had no traces of antibiotics, while the conventionally produced milk had antibiotic traces in 60% of the samples and 20 times more growth hormones than the organic milk. And 37% of the conventional milk samples included two antibiotics banned by the FDA. Organic dairy and livestock farmers support healthy animals through healthy feed, pasture, sunshine, and humane living conditions that allow animals to express their natural instincts.  OFA continues to pressure the USDA to make sure we continue to protect and enforce these practices and values in the standards.

Organic food has higher nutrient density.

Soil health determines overall plant health, and organic farmers prioritize good soil health by adding compost or manure and utilizing cover crops and crop rotation. Good soil health results in  healthier produce with more nutrients that help prevent diseases like cancer and coronary heart disease. California organic farmers Phil LaRocca preaches that, “The best form of health insurance is to eat organic!” Healthy soil is foundational for growing healthy food, and OFA is working to keep healthy soil at the center of organic production.

Regenerative organic farming helps fight climate change.

Currently agriculture is a large contributor to climate change; however, regenerative organic farming holds the key for solutions to turn climate change around.  By shifting farming practices to regenerative organic systems, we can increase soil organic carbon stocks, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, maintain crop yields, improve soil water retention and plant uptake, improve farm profitability, and revitalize rural communities while increasing biodiversity and producing more ecosystem services.  Your choice to purchase organic food is also part of the solution, because more demand for organic food will push more farmers to adopt these practices!

The Certified Organic label enforces the standards that ensure you’re buying healthy, climate-conscious food. Purchasing from local certified organic farmers is even better because you are supporting your local economy!  OFA is committed to upholding organic’s  high standards through agricultural policies, ensuring that you have access to the healthiest possible food under the organic label.

Interested in doing more to support organic farmers? You can join OFA as a supporter member to help drive sustainable agriculture policies for our nation. This Organic Month, all supporter members can join for $57 and receive a free OFA water bottle.