The emergence of genetically modified organic food was originally intended to solve the dietary problems brought about by population growth, but organic food is generally expensive, especially organic vegetables, organic fruits, etc. Why are organic vegetables expensive? What direction will organic products go in the future? What about development?
According to the survey of the organic food market in Shanghai, the price of organic food is generally 30%-80% higher than that of ordinary food, and the price of some varieties, such as organic vegetables, is 2-3 times that of ordinary vegetables.
Although the price of organic vegetables is high, it is due to the need for more labor and more intensive technology, intensive cultivation, a lot of work, low yield, far away from pollution, high quality, and natural qualities.
Organic vegetables are a concept that pursues the harmonious development between man and nature, and maintains ecological sustainable development without polluting the environment. Organic vegetables are not allowed to use artificially synthesized pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, growth regulators, etc. during the cultivation process. Its growth cycle is long, and it has high requirements on soil, water quality, and environment, and it is inevitable that pests, weeds, and fertilization Technology makes demands that are different from conventional vegetables. The high cost makes it more expensive than ordinary vegetables.
Although the price of organic vegetables is much higher than that of ordinary vegetables, they are not polluted, harmless to the human body, and rich in nutrients can be completely absorbed by the human body. These advantages have attracted a large number of white-collar workers to become loyal consumers of organic vegetables. In China, more than 80% of organic vegetables are exported to Japan. The reason is that the Japanese pay more attention to health. The Japanese government also has strict food safety management and does not allow any vegetables using chemical pesticides to enter the market. Therefore, in Japan, the price of organic vegetables It is much higher than the price of meat, which is basically around 50 yuan per catty.
Since it was first proposed by European countries in the 1920s, after decades of practice and development, it has gradually attracted the attention of governments of various countries. Organic food has become a fashion consumed by people in western developed countries. Our country established the “Organic Food Development Center of the State Environmental Protection Administration” in 1994. Over the past decade, organic agriculture has developed rapidly. Although it has not yet entered the dining table of ordinary families, it will gradually enter more with the growing demand for safe food. many families.
Current status of organic vegetables: organic vegetables used to be popular, but now they are scarce.
Recently, the reporter visited supermarkets in the provincial capital and specialty stores of agricultural products on the sale of organic vegetables. In the Yidong store of Beiguo Supermarket, the vegetable counter is full of all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits, but there are no vegetables marked with the word “organic”. The salesperson told the reporter that there are currently no organic vegetables in the supermarket. There is no trace of organic vegetables in the Dama store of Beiguo Supermarket and the Tangu store of Carrefour Baolongcang. Later, the reporter went to the Xiantianxia store of Beiguo Supermarket, which is famous for its high-end and high-quality products, but still did not find any organic vegetables.
A supermarket manager who did not want to be named said that the sales of organic vegetables were not good because the prices were too high, and vegetables were not comparable to other commodities, and the emphasis was on freshness. Therefore, some supermarkets no longer sell organic vegetables.
Among the five supermarkets and one agricultural product specialty store visited by the reporter, only Beiguo Supermarket Beiguo Mall store sells organic vegetables. The reporter saw that there is an organic vegetable counter here, but there are only a few varieties such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bitter gourds, eggplants, and peppers. Compared with the green vegetables next to it, its variety and occupied area are smaller. Compared with the high popularity of the ordinary vegetable sales area, the organic vegetable counter is also very deserted.
What the masses say: The high price and the difficulty of trust lead to the coldness of organic vegetables.
“Organic vegetables are available, but they are not affordable by ordinary people.” A salesperson of Jiajiayuan Yuhua Store said bluntly. In the eyes of most citizens, organic vegetables are just one word, “expensive”. “A few years ago, when organic vegetables were popular, I bought them for my children for a while, and the price was several times that of ordinary vegetables.” Ms. Wang said that the high price is acceptable, but the most worrying thing is that I can’t buy real vegetables at a high price. organic food. “Brands, certifications, etc. are confusing, and the price is very high, so I switched to ordinary vegetables.”
In the Beiguo Mall store of Beiguo Supermarket, the reporter saw that the price of organic tomatoes, sharp peppers, bitter gourd, and plum beans is 28.5 yuan per 500 grams, and the price of organic eggplant and cucumber is 25.8 yuan per 500 grams, while the same 500 grams of green vegetables The price of vegetables is mostly seven or eight yuan, and the price of ordinary vegetables is three or four yuan. An industry insider said frankly that the “slimming” of organic vegetable counters in supermarkets had appeared as early as the year before last. “Organic vegetables belong to a small group of high-end consumers. The price is relatively high and the sales volume is relatively small. In addition, consumers still have doubts about the organic vegetables on the market. Therefore, some supermarkets now prefer to choose green or organic vegetables with lower prices. Pollution vegetables.”
The Future of Organic Vegetables: Can Organic Vegetables Be Favored Again?
“Organic vegetables are considered to be the safest. If there are genuine organic vegetables, I would buy them at a high price. After all, health cannot be measured by money,” said Ms. Yang, a resident of the provincial capital. In fact, a person from Beiguo Supermarket said that the sales of organic vegetables are not bad. “It turns out that our Xiantianxia store and Beiguo Mall store have organic vegetable counters, but now only the Beiguo Mall store sells them. It’s not because of poor sales, but because of insufficient supply from suppliers.”
The reporter saw information such as organic product certification, certification agency name and ID code posted on the organic vegetable packaging bag. I scanned a QR code next to it with my mobile phone, and the mobile phone immediately popped up various certification information of this organic carrot.
“Now, the certification of organic vegetables is becoming more and more stringent. From the field to the dining table, organic vegetables must face multiple monitoring.” A person from Beiguo Supermarket said that according to the new regulations, the certification agency will issue a unique number for each certification mark in the future. Adopt anti-counterfeiting and traceability technology, so that consumers can check their ‘identity’ backwards. “The organic market will become more and more standardized, and we are quite optimistic about this market.” The person said that they are currently in contact with some organic vegetable production bases and still want to make this cake bigger.
However, according to many people in the industry, whether organic vegetables can be recognized and accepted by the public again, it is still necessary to strengthen the public’s understanding of organic products, so as to gradually accept organic products.
The high price of organic vegetables is not very reasonable at present. On the one hand, citizens do not know enough about organic products and think that organic food is not healthy enough. Therefore, GMO organic products still need time to test.
