1. How Feasible Is Going Organic?
By Nidhi Khurana

2. Healthier living is all that matters
• Of late, the disenchantment from the city life is causing
people to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
• Markets are also realizing the needs of new consumers and
are venturing into it right away.
• One such response has been the setting up of organic food
stores all across the country especially in metropolises.
• However, if we contemplate well, such stores have not been
able to attract a lot of customers and there are reasons that
we need to count.

3. Savings too?
• To begin with, consumption of organic food is more of an
urban middle class phenomenon.
• So, going organic is a new way of life for this unambiguous
category which is aware enough of the health costs that need
to be incurred by consumption of pesticides and fertilizer
laden crops.
• However, its propensity to consume totally depends on its
purchasing power and it often ends up making choices and
sometimes ignoring the health and going for little savings.

4. Expensive, is it?
• Well, yes. Organic food is more expensive than conventional
food and that remains a crucial factor for its unfamiliarity.
• Since organic farming is more labour intensive and free of
chemical usage, the productivity remains low.
• Consequently, it is sold at much higher prices than
conventional food (almost two times the price of pesticide-
treated food).

5. Feasible, is it?
• That remains unclear.
• There are some studies that suggest that organic food is
healthier than conventional food but there are counter
studies that claim that it has no extra nutritional value.
• Nor is it that healthy to be worth the splurge.
• But, one good thing about it is that organic farming is an
ecofriendly approach.

6. Green revolution, need of the hour
• The celebrated environmentalist Vandana Shiva expresses
her concern over environmental degradation.
• She allied herself with the ‘Slow Food Movement’ that
promotes the use organic food.
• She has also formed her own organization called ‘Navdanya’
and its outlets can be seen easily in many cities across the
country.
• Also there are a bunch of other organizations that are
promoting organic farming, which are in the interest of small
farmers, as well as the environment.
• What is missing is a mass movement that can question the
aftermath and violence that green revolution has resulted
into.

7. • Read more on Youth Ki Awaaz at http://bit.ly/Xrqff2