Love Organic? Help Make Organic Food More Accessible & Affordable! #GROorganic

This post is sponsored by the Organic Trade Association, but the opinions expressed are my own.

I find it fascinating that something that used to simply be a way of life can turn into a movement. As humans, we tend to want everything bigger, better, faster and more accessible than ever before. We see these trends in everything from children's toys to the food we eat. It's the last one that concerns me. How did we get to the point where good, wholesome, organically grown food became a fad where it once was a staple? When did knowing where our meat and produce came from become the rarity instead of the norm?

Shouldn't it be the other way around? Don't we need we need more organic, not less? We need more organic farmers in America. We need more public education about the benefits of organic. We need to make organic options more affordable and more attainable for everyone - the way it use to be.

Remember “Got Milk?” … well, why not “Got Organic?”

Why should we continue to settle for processed foods that are high when organic could be the norm? Recently there has been a progressive movement among farmers and consumer to make organic the norm. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is seeking public comments to a proposal for a nationwide research and promotion check-off program for organic.

So how will this help the organic food movement? This organic check-off will provide research and key tools to encourage more farmers to go organic and help all organic farmers be more successful. Which means more organic food in our supermarkets and a lower grocery bill when we choose to shop organic.

As it stands, shopping organic can be costly and that cost is increasing as demand increases but supply stays the same. It's in all of our interest for more farmers to join the Organic movement.

It's estimated that the organic check-off, referred to as GRO Organic (Generic Research and Promotion Order for Organic), could raise over $30 million a year to spend on research to make farmers successful, technical services to accelerate the adoption of organic practices, and consumer education and promotion of the organic brand.

If you have ever wondered what the Organic seal really means, or what was in the processed food you were consuming this is a cause that should make us stand up and take note. Think Organic is the way to go? All that’s needed now is YOUR comment to USDA supporting this game-changing initiative. The future of organic depends on it.

You can find out more about the GRO Organic movement, including a break down of how the Check-Off works and where money is allocated at the GRO Organic website.