Natural Society April 17 2014
Could it be that the big box giant Walmart heard the massive consumer plea for more organic food? The store just published an announcement stating that it will offer packaged organic foods at the same or comparable prices as non-organic foods as an attempt to undercut pricing from its competitors.
This seems to be good news for the consumer, considering that many people have often claimed they can’t afford eat organic since it can be more expensive than eating non-organic foods (unless of course you grow them yourself.) Dr. Oz even once said that ‘organic is great, it’s just not very democratic,” insinuating that most people can’t afford organic truffle oil or organic quinoa. Eating organic isn’t just for snobs, though, or foodies. It is a vital step in taking back our health and living a longer life.
“There will be no premium for the customer to purchase organic products,” said Jack Sinclair, executive vice president of grocery at Wal-Mart U.S. “They will be able to purchase organic at non-organic prices.”
So how will Walmart provide organic to the medium and lower income families instead of just to ‘yuppies’ living in the upper echelons of society? They will partner with a chain of health-oriented grocery stores called Wild Oats – the rival to Whole Foods who bought them out in 2007. Whole Foods sold the name rights in 2010, and now the company produces organic spices, broths, and sauces. Consumers can expect to pay about 25 percent less for similar organic brands for the same items. For a comparison, Wild Oats organic chicken broth will cost around $1.98, whereas a comparable organic brand, Swanson’s, costs $2.88.