Is Eating Organic Worth It?

Dear Reader,

In my hometown, most families have a small patch of land where they grow vegetables like lauki and mirchi. They don’t typically use chemical pesticides or fertilisers, which means the produce is, in effect, organic.

That’s not how food works in most big cities. Urban consumers rarely grow their own food. Instead, we rely on produce that travels long distances through conventional supply chains, where pesticide use is common.

Consumers who want to reduce their exposure to chemicals can buy organic at supermarkets, which now stock organic alternatives alongside regular products.

India’s organic food market is still small compared to the market for conventionally-grown food. But it’s growing fast. IMARC estimates India’s organic food market was worth around $1.9 billion in 2024, and projects it could cross $10 billion by 2033.

Organic farming, in broad terms, avoids synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilisers. Instead, farmers rely on compost and biological inputs. Its proponents argue that modern farming uses excessive chemicals that harm both soil and human health.

The consumers I spoke to said they care about their health. But many added that they don’t fully trust the organic label in supermarkets.

“I do not rely on the brand of organic food in India, because I doubt that label. I go for normal brands,” said Shehnaz Samantara, a retired English professor. 

There are several ways for farmers to get ‘organic’ certification. The most rigorous is the National Programme for Organic Production, or NPOP, which is largely meant for exports. Then there is PGS-India, a participatory system where farmers certify each other through peer review. And finally, there’s a grey zone, where labels like “natural” or “chemical-free” sound reassuring but don’t always come with verification.

“This fragmented system has led to a loss of trust, which hurts farmers too,” said soil ecologist Dr Sultan Ismail.

His suggestion: build direct relationships with farmers and source food from them.

“I can’t do that in Delhi. I would like to, but I don’t know how that would work,” said Megha Chauhan, a 29-year old government consultant. 

So what’s the solution? And is organic food really that much better for us?

Check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief to hear from consumers, industry voices and scientists.

You can find The Signal Brief on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

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Best,
Kudrat
on behalf of The Core

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