Does the higher cost of organic products limit your abilities to eat healthier? Would you love to find a way to help make organic food more affordable? Me, too! That’s why I’m excited to partner with the Organic Trade Association to share information in this sponsored post about the GRO Organic Check-off Program and how you can get involved to help make organic food more affordable for everyone.

The number one concern I hear from folks anytime the subject of organic foods comes up is how expensive it is to feed their family with organic foods verses standard grocery options. My preferred choice is to purchase organic, but let’s be real – buying organic can be expensive and sometimes, there are no organic options to be found.

There are obvious solutions to reducing costs on items like produce by growing our own organic vegetables, herbs and fruits, but this type of solution isn’t suitable for everyone. Wouldn’t it be great if consumers just had an abundance of organic options available at every-day low prices? This is exactly what the GRO Organic Check-off Program aims to do.

What is the GRO Organic Check-off Program?

An official national check-off program is new to the organic food industry.  Other industries have similar programs in place, such as the dairy food industry.  You’ve likely heard of the “Got Milk?” campaign that was funded by their check-off program.

All organic certificate holders throughout the supply chain would pay a small fee to participate in the check-off including producers, handlers, processors, and distributors.  This is not a tax-payer funding initiative, it’s one that will be funding by the industry itself.

The funds of the GRO Organic Check-off Program will be used to:

• invest in organic research
• increase information and technical assistance for organic producers and handlers
• bring new farmers into organic production
• promote the organic brand
• educate consumers on what organic is and its benefits

The program estimates that The Organic Check-off would raise over $30 million per year for promotional, educational and research activities. Over time, this would be a big game-changer for the organic sector benefiting everyone from producers to consumers!

How does the GRO Organic Check-off Program make organic food more affordable?

In the United States, less than 1 percent of farms are certified organic. I was stunned when I read that statistic. It means that most of our organic options are being imported which has an adverse effect on our environment by increasing our eco-footprint dramatically. It’s a pretty simple equation, the longer food has to travel, the more fossil fuels are burned and the higher the cost of the food. Just the simple act of working to increase the number of US-based organic farms (which the initiative aims to do) will impact our pocket-books and the environment in a positive way.

All of the research, inventions and innovations that are a result of Organic Check-off programming will remain in the public domain. Advancing efforts in organic research, finding better, affordable ways to bring organic products to market, encouraging farmers to commit to organic food practices, and educating consumers about the tremendous benefits of organic foods equals an improved organic foods purchasing experience and ultimately, lower organic food costs.

Find more facts and figures in this informative article on the GRO Organic Check-off Program on Mamavation.com

What can I do to help make organic food more affordable?

Are you ready to make a difference and support a better future for organic food choices?  It’s free and will only take a few seconds of your time.  The USDA wants to hear your opinion on the GRO Organic Check-off Program and whether improved access to organic foods is important to you!

If you would love to see more organic farms in the United States, more affordable organic food options at the grocery store and a better future for the organic foods industry, please take a second to lend your support by submitting your comment now (and don’t worry if you don’t know what to say, there’s a pre-scripted comment to help you out!)

Would you like to help make organic food more affordable? Me, too! Let’s make sure our voices are heard loud and clear on this important topic!