AP Photo/Jim Mone
DCL
When the going gets tough, the organic dairy farmers lose. That's the gist of a recent article in the New York Times about the financial pressures facing the organic dairy industry, a result of rising costs and fewer consumers willing (or able) to pay more for organic milk, cheese and butter.
According to the article, some farmers have been told to cut their production by 20 percent, and some distributors have also slashed the price they pay for organic milk. There's also the issue of sales. Sales of organic whole milk in February were down 2.5 percent from the previous year, and organic reduced-fat milk sales dropped a staggering 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With dairy sales hemorrhaging, something's got to give.
I'm the first to admit organic foods can often cost more. But I'm just as quick to point out it can cost less if you shop right. Dairy products cost a lot more if you buy organic, there's no doubt about it. But there's a reason.
Many non-organic dairy cows are injected with hormones so they will produce more milk, but at least one hormone may be linked to a health concerns in humans, and it's not good for the cows either. Their udders become so heavy with milk they drag on the ground, which, not surprisingly, causes infection. The infection is treated with antibiotics, which can end up in the water table via the cows' urine, and which often results in puss and blood getting into the milk. Buying organic dairy eliminates these problems.
So what's a cash-strapped, eco-friendly consumer to do? To borrow a phrase from the '70s: Share the wealth, man. Cut back on some things to save money so you can buy healthier, greener foods.
Where to Save Money So You Can Afford Organic Dairy
1. Send processed foods packing If you skip even a fraction of the junk most people buy, you can afford to spend more on organic foods. Do you really need two bags of potato chips, or a case of soda each week? Not only will you save money by cutting down on processed foods, you'll also be eating healthier and you'll probably be taking a bite out of your carbon footprint.
2. Eat in more Americans eat out about four or five times a week, on average. Five times each week! That's staggering to me. Stop bleeding money and start eating in a little more. If you cut that number by just one, you can certainly afford organic dairy.
3. Control Your Coffee Habit I love a nice cappuccino or latte as much as the next girl, but the fact is I know I'm just throwing money away if I buy one from a café every day. So I get them only a couple of times a week. I'm not eliminating my habit—if everyone stops hitting up the coffee shop for that morning jolt, the place will be out of business—but I am cutting back to save some cash. If you normally get coffee each morning, opt for every other morning and use the extra $4 to $8 to pay for that organic dairy.
4. Waste not, want not Studies suggest about 25 to 30 percent of the average consumer's groceries ends up getting tossed. That's a huge amount. In Europe people often shop on the way home from work, picking up only what they need for that night and perhaps the next day. They buy foods in smaller quantities, so little goes to waste. If you shop more often and eat what's in your fridge before you go shopping again, you're bound to waste less food and save money.
5. Drink less milk Okay, this one seems odd, on the surface, but it actually makes a lot of sense. If you consume less dairy, you can afford to buy the more expensive organic products. It's kind of like the coffee shop analogy. Sure, you can go for a cheaper product (non-organic dairy), but then you're stripping the organic dairy farmers of their livelihoods. Instead, if you cut back just a bit, the farmers have a much better chance of weathering the storm.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of Naturally Savvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
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