Organic produce and ingredients are often priced higher than their conventionally farmed counterparts, and the reasons come down to how organic farming is actually practised, not just how it's marketed.
Lower Yields Per Acre
Farming without synthetic fertilisers and pesticides often results in lower yields compared to conventional methods, meaning the same size of land produces less to sell.
Labour-Intensive Practices
Weed and pest management without chemical inputs typically relies more on manual labour — hand-weeding, crop rotation, and natural pest deterrents — all of which take more time and people than a conventional spray-based approach.
Certification Costs
Organic certification (such as through India's NPOP or international bodies like ECOCERT) involves audits, documentation, and ongoing compliance costs, which get factored into the final price of certified produce.
Land Transition Period
Converting conventionally farmed land to organic status typically requires a multi-year transition period before it can be certified, during which the farmer often can't yet charge organic prices despite following organic practices.
FAQs
Q1. Why is organic produce usually more expensive?
A combination of lower yields, more manual labour, and certification costs generally makes organic farming more expensive to run than conventional farming.
Q2. How long does it take to convert land to organic?
This varies by certifying body and region, but multi-year transition periods are standard before land can be certified organic.
Q3. Is all “organic” labelling independently verified?
It depends on the market and claim — certified organic labelling is backed by an accredited certifying body's audit, while unverified use of the word isn't.
12 comments
Himanshu S
Thanks for belabouring on the benefits of organic produce. However, for even a small middle class family of 4, your product pricing is exorbitantly high and thus unsustainable. Clearly your focus group is not the middle class but wealthy people. So, in the entire article, all I could imagine was that ‘this is not for you coz this lifestyle is way too expensive to even be started with’. Good luck with people having deep pockets
Thanks for belabouring on the benefits of organic produce. However, for even a small middle class family of 4, your product pricing is exorbitantly high and thus unsustainable. Clearly your focus group is not the middle class but wealthy people. So, in the entire article, all I could imagine was that ‘this is not for you coz this lifestyle is way too expensive to even be started with’. Good luck with people having deep pockets
R.krishnan Gopinath
What a detailed article. Just happened to find this while casually scrolling on a Sunday morning, but truly awakened reading some of the points mentioned her that decide how organic food gets priced. Thank you Two Brothers for taking the time to educate us. Looking forward to reading all your articles on the blog.
What a detailed article. Just happened to find this while casually scrolling on a Sunday morning, but truly awakened reading some of the points mentioned her that decide how organic food gets priced. Thank you Two Brothers for taking the time to educate us. Looking forward to reading all your articles on the blog.
Priya
Have been using your products and they are truly amazing. I can clearly see the quality difference between your awesome products and the other cheaper ones. A2 ghee and jaggery are amazing especially.Keep up the good work.
Have been using your products and they are truly amazing. I can clearly see the quality difference between your awesome products and the other cheaper ones. A2 ghee and jaggery are amazing especially.Keep up the good work.
Mahendra Jagtap
Good team work!!!!!!!
amazing work…very nice
Pl. share regular updates on mail
Good team work!!!!!!!
amazing work…very nice
Pl. share regular updates on mail
Nikita Damame
I own a organic store in Mumbai. I always look for good and natural things but they are difficult to find. Many brands say they are organic but they are not indeed. When my other partner personally visited your farm and saw everything by himself i must say i am very impressed by your work. I sell Amorearth’s products heartily and proudly also i personally use them all Specially Lemon Slice, Chhas and A2 Ghee are my favourite. Also It is a great pleasure to contribute our supper heroes our farmers. Hats off to you guys Great work TBOF 🙌 Thank You so much for Giving me an opportunity to searving people at least i know i am not playing with people’s life.🙏
I own a organic store in Mumbai. I always look for good and natural things but they are difficult to find. Many brands say they are organic but they are not indeed. When my other partner personally visited your farm and saw everything by himself i must say i am very impressed by your work. I sell Amorearth’s products heartily and proudly also i personally use them all Specially Lemon Slice, Chhas and A2 Ghee are my favourite. Also It is a great pleasure to contribute our supper heroes our farmers. Hats off to you guys Great work TBOF 🙌 Thank You so much for Giving me an opportunity to searving people at least i know i am not playing with people’s life.🙏
Madhuri Ghuge
amazing work…very nice
amazing work…very nice
Neha Saxena
Hello TBOF
Thanks a lot for attaching so much importance to traditional way of cultivating and practices. I am myself looking all over for authentic organic or pesticide free products, as I truly understand its importance. However as many others I still believe they are expensive, ones here are extremely expensive. I completely understand your reasons for that as well but as a lay person, how would I be able to spend more than 5000 rupees a month on Ghee alone? I have 4 member household and utilize about 2 litres of ghee every month, as we believe ghee is superfood and I love that you have it produced authentically but sadly that becomes over budget even though you tell in the post to spend wisely. You did give examples from childhood but lets not forget those people you were talking about were lower middle/middle class like my family, if they are given choice , they also wouldn’t have been able to bear this much cost. Being and indian middle class family we hardly splurge, all we do is save for children’s education and other unforeseen things. Then does that mean we do not have right to be healthy, but there are no avenues.
I am a simple mother and wife wanting best for my family and hence still on lookout for affordable products and landed on your page and was quite impressed but again disappointed seeing the sky high prices. You are right there is very less margin in this work and that is the reason lot of people who venture into this field eventually have to shut the business, I have seen the cases. some of them just wanted to do it for social cause and not for profit at all but there was no way they can sustain or even out.
I request hence to consider some community initiatives to bring down cost like bulk production or forming group of individuals who can pool resources for buying and maintaining small piece of land for cultivation, you provide them guidance or even employ few farmers, bear the cost to receive every week organic veggies. I am looking for even options to be able to convert terrace to small veggies garden to be able to support my family needs. If you have any such ideas please let me know and I will be more than excited to participate.
Thanks for your patience to read through if you ever get to read it:)
Hello TBOF
Thanks a lot for attaching so much importance to traditional way of cultivating and practices. I am myself looking all over for authentic organic or pesticide free products, as I truly understand its importance. However as many others I still believe they are expensive, ones here are extremely expensive. I completely understand your reasons for that as well but as a lay person, how would I be able to spend more than 5000 rupees a month on Ghee alone? I have 4 member household and utilize about 2 litres of ghee every month, as we believe ghee is superfood and I love that you have it produced authentically but sadly that becomes over budget even though you tell in the post to spend wisely. You did give examples from childhood but lets not forget those people you were talking about were lower middle/middle class like my family, if they are given choice , they also wouldn’t have been able to bear this much cost. Being and indian middle class family we hardly splurge, all we do is save for children’s education and other unforeseen things. Then does that mean we do not have right to be healthy, but there are no avenues.
I am a simple mother and wife wanting best for my family and hence still on lookout for affordable products and landed on your page and was quite impressed but again disappointed seeing the sky high prices. You are right there is very less margin in this work and that is the reason lot of people who venture into this field eventually have to shut the business, I have seen the cases. some of them just wanted to do it for social cause and not for profit at all but there was no way they can sustain or even out.
I request hence to consider some community initiatives to bring down cost like bulk production or forming group of individuals who can pool resources for buying and maintaining small piece of land for cultivation, you provide them guidance or even employ few farmers, bear the cost to receive every week organic veggies. I am looking for even options to be able to convert terrace to small veggies garden to be able to support my family needs. If you have any such ideas please let me know and I will be more than excited to participate.
Thanks for your patience to read through if you ever get to read it:)
Uma Shankari
I am an organic farmer since 1993. Age 65. nice way of explaining the organic process. Health is a good inducer for going organic. Being sick scares the shit out of people. But people will get sick with some thing or the other , organic or no organic, due to old age, genes, infections, and other factors. But as you have rightly, it is not just people’s health, it is also a matter of the earth’s health. And we are all striving to be good, do good for ourselves and the earth, the only planet for us. My pricing policy has been “what is your retail price is my wholesale price.” For people hesitate to buy if we put all the costs into the product, but are willing to buy if we sell them at their retail price. Good luck to your efforts. You have not mentioned where your farm is! Mine is in Chittoor dt. AP. Uma Shankari.
I am an organic farmer since 1993. Age 65. nice way of explaining the organic process. Health is a good inducer for going organic. Being sick scares the shit out of people. But people will get sick with some thing or the other , organic or no organic, due to old age, genes, infections, and other factors. But as you have rightly, it is not just people’s health, it is also a matter of the earth’s health. And we are all striving to be good, do good for ourselves and the earth, the only planet for us. My pricing policy has been “what is your retail price is my wholesale price.” For people hesitate to buy if we put all the costs into the product, but are willing to buy if we sell them at their retail price. Good luck to your efforts. You have not mentioned where your farm is! Mine is in Chittoor dt. AP. Uma Shankari.
Nisa Homey
I am a big fan of your A2 Ghee and Khapli Wheat flour. Thanks for all the efforts to bring out such quality organic products.
I am a big fan of your A2 Ghee and Khapli Wheat flour. Thanks for all the efforts to bring out such quality organic products.
Parimal Goradia
Tbof team great job is done by you for transformation in soceity . This movement is the demand of this age. We salute you as a JAI KISSAN a main fighter of movement for making society polutionfree, healthy and stressfree. Let’s everyone join this movement.
Tbof team great job is done by you for transformation in soceity . This movement is the demand of this age. We salute you as a JAI KISSAN a main fighter of movement for making society polutionfree, healthy and stressfree. Let’s everyone join this movement.
Gita Samtani
Yours is truly a labour of love. Great respect for all that you do.
Very well written post.
God Bless Team TBOF.
Where can I buy your products in Pune?
Yours is truly a labour of love. Great respect for all that you do.
Very well written post.
God Bless Team TBOF.
Where can I buy your products in Pune?
Jayanand Wagh
Grateful for this awareness. God bless entire TBOF team.
Grateful for this awareness. God bless entire TBOF team.