Karen McVeigh initiates an extremely significant discussion on organic food. His argument is based on various factors that make organic food unfavorable for human consumption. The article argues that conventional food is the best compared to organic food. This is based on the research that was carried out by Food Standards Agency (FSA) (McVeigh, 2009). However, this conclusion by FSA has been criticized on various basis of platform.
This conclusion is based on adverse research that was carried out 50 years ago. This was a research on the nutritional value of organic and nutritional food. However, the conclusion defines that there are no reliable findings that organic food has any nutritional value to a human being.
Despite the extensive use of fertilizers in the production of organic food these type of food still sustains no nutritional value. Soil tests have been conducted and there are no features that have been identified that can define organic food as nutritional in any manner.
However, Karen McVeigh in conjunction with the FSA has been extremely sensitive in defining organic food as a form of food that lacks nutritional value. The conclusion may be defined as extremely sensitive since the type of research that was conducted may be erroneous may bring forth false findings (McVeigh, 2009).
Although, it may not be nutritionally rich as the conventional food it also contain some nutritional benefits. One of the main factors that would influence this is how the food is grown. For proper growth of this kind of plants a lot of chemicals are required. Does the allegation that organic food contains no nutritional value suggest that the elements used to grow this food lack nutrients leading to the case of where the produce also lacks nutrients (McVeigh, 2009).
Also, the research indicates that the soil research may be used to prove that this kind of food lacks nutritional value. It would be unrealistic to conclude that organic food lacks nutritional value since no soil will lack even the least amount of nutrients. Any plant that grows on soil should have some nutritional value of one kind or of several kinds. Therefore, allegations that organic food lacks nutritional value on the basis of soil tests show that the conclusion is invalid and cannot be relied upon for adequate information.
Analysis of Organic food
In the field of economics theory of consumption can never be ignored. This defines how different people consume different goods. The main element that drives people towards consumption of different types of products is utility. This is the willingness of a customer to consume certain good or sets of goods in the prevailing market price. Therefore, people have different choices to make in their livelihood.
In this case, we are evaluating two sets of food. This means that there two sets of people willing to consume certain goods which may be the same or different. As indicated above the different tastes are on the basis of the satisfaction that one will obtain from consumption of one good in comparison to another good. Therefore, it would be wise to always consider the factors that make certain goods most preferable in comparison to other goods.
In this case, it is a consideration of the level of preference between organic food and conventional food. Research indicates that organic food is less common among people. People do not still have the agitated attitude towards organic food. The different research findings on the low nutrient level of content in organic food have extensively influenced how people perceive this kind of food. It has extremely influenced consumer’s attitude towards this form of food. Therefore, in economic definition organic food has lost preference among consumers following the adverse influence of the research bodies which are entrusted the authorization of consumption of different foods (Canavari, and Kent, 2007).
People have been used to conventional food, which is a type of food that has been in the market for a long period of time. The market share of a product is extremely significant in defining how the product is likely to fetch in the market size. Organic food has been criticized since the beginning of its production. This means that negative attitude to the product has been developed among consumers. The taste and preference of a consumer towards a good is an extremely fundamental element in determining the kind of goods that one is likely to consume (Canavari, and Kent, 2007).Therefore, developing the negative attitude among consumers for organic food brought forth a challenge to consumers as they had no chance to identify themselves with organic food that may contain some nutritional value.
The other element that adversely influences the prevalence of the essential factors that organic food contains is the low supply for these types of food. The producers for organic food are extremely low. Most people prefer producing crops that they are a bit sure of the market situation for the product. Following the fact that organic food is not common among most people, producers fear that they will not have adequate market within which to operate. This has been extremely influential to the supply levels for the product. With low demand levels the producers will not be willing to invest in the production (Canavari, and Kent, 2007).Therefore, the supply will also go down for the product.
Prices for organic foods are extremely low. There are various factors that make the prices remain low in comparison to conventional food. One of the main factors that cause the prices to remain low is for them to act as motivation for various customers to try the product one day. At some point, this strategy may succeed if there are no interferences on the product in the market by any external force. For example, the market for organic food has been disrupted by the research findings that were released by FSA on the nutritional value of this type of food (Canavari, and Kent, 2007).The low demand for the type of food may also influence the price levels for the type of food. It would be extremely unrealistic if the seller for organic food sold his products at high prices and there were only a few customers for the product.
The other main determinant of the price of a product is the price of the competing product. In this case, the main competitor for organic food is conventional food. Following the low prices for conventional food which has dominated the market there is no way by which the price for organic food can be extremely high. Sellers must try to maintain the prices for organic products to the lowest levels as possible. The prices for conventional foods have maintained the prices for organic foods at the lowest levels.
The other element that may make organic food common among people is possession of the right information about the kind of food among consumers. However, the information about the kind of food may only be achieved through excellent marketing strategies. Marketing is one of the challenges that any organic food producer may face. This is because the government does not favor this type of food. Instead, it discourages it consumption since it adds no value to the body of the consumer (Canavari, and Kent, 2007) .Therefore, there is a manner by which the government may support any form of promotion that may make this type of product famous in the market as well as increase the market share for the product.
People must be made to understand why they should consume organic food instead of conventional food. This may only be achieved through extensive promotional campaigns that will make the products famous among members of the society. The seller must be ready to invest in education on the significances of this form of food. With adverse knowledge on the different types of food the customer will be in a position to make the right choice.
Organic food has been economically challenged by the conventional food on various platforms. The government has also played a critical role in ensuring that people are subjected to the right food and no instance at which the food gets access to a wide market. The government has been fighting for conventional food through research on organic food indicating it as an extremely low quality food. This is based on researches conducted by FSA on the nutritional value of this form of food. This means that adverse ideas need be employed to ensure the food gains wider market.
Work Cited
Canavari, Maurizio, and Kent D. Olson. Organic food consumers' choices and farmers' opportunities. New York: Springer Science+Business Media, 2007. Print.
McVeigh, Karen . "Organic food not healthier, says FSA." The Guardian (2009).
