In the last 20 years across the world and in the last 10 years in India, there has been an ever growing demand for certified organic food. Many marketing agencies have been tracking this phenomenal growth through market surveys. There are many research studies, consumer surveys and focused interviews to ascertain this trend. According to the experts, organic consumers can be classified into two broad categories:
	•	Negative preference route, i.e., the one who has been concerned about the quality of food due to its contamination & adulteration and its negative effects on human health.
	•	Positive preference route, i.e., those who are environmentally conscious and are concerned about the future in terms of sustainability of the Earth, environment and crop production systems.
The average consumer is becoming more and more cautious about the quality of food, be it at home and/or commercial food served at restaurants, hotels and by catering services. Some consumers have almost adopted organic as a lifestyle statement. The research conducted among 1,000 consumers in India has the following to say regarding the benefits of organic foods:
	•	Organic food production helps protect future generations:
		The average child is exposed to carcinogenic pesticides in food more than four times the level as compared to an adult’s tolerance limits. Switching to chemical free organic food is a step taken towards preserving the health of the children and also of future generations to come.
	•	Organic food is free of artificial additives:
		Organic food contains no toxins, artificial or preservatives which are believed to be responsible for heart diseases, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity. Use of antibiotics, anti-microbial, hormones and other growth promoters are prohibited in organic production. Similarly use of synthetic chemicals as preservatives & colouring are prohibited in the processing of organic foods.
	•	Chemical residues are either non-existent or are at very low levels in organically produced food:
		Studies have indicated that most conventionally farmed foods have pesticide and other chemical residues. Over 400 chemicals are routinely used in conventional farming and research shows that 60% of herbicides, 30% of insecticides and 90% of fungicides are known to cause cancer. These chemicals can also lead to nervous and endocrinal problems. Organic growers do not use toxic and artificial chemicals so you can rest assured that your food is chemical free.
	•	Organic food has lower nitrate levels:
		Use of soluble chemical fertilizers has resulted in high nitrate concentration in conventionally farmed food especially fruits and vegetables. The leaching of these fertilizers has also resulted in increasing nitrate contamination of drinking water systems across the world. Not only are these nitrates carcinogenic, they have even been known to impair the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. The nitrate content of organically grown food is significantly lower than in conventionally grown produce.
	•	Organic food is not irradiated:
		Many food products, especially those that are to be sent long distance, are irradiated to kill microbes. Irradiation is believed to cause changes even at the molecular level. Organic foods are not permitted to be irradiated and are completely natural.
	•	Organic food has higher levels of nutrients:
		When compared to conventional food, organic food is far superior in vitamin, mineral and nutrient content.
	•	Organic foods offer more diversity:
		Many people today complain about loss of food diversity in their everyday meals. The same is true even when they are eating outside. Many foods having mild flavours have lost their taste due to excessive emphasis on their quantity production and due to utter disregard for their quality parameters. Many food products in the past were consumed because of their strong flavours, but present day cultivation methods and commercial considerations have turned them into products with bitter tastes. Most commercial eating outlets deliver food with limited choices and are usually bland to taste. A large number of consumers have accepted the limited variety in choice of food. For any adventurous consumer, new choices are just not being offered by the market. Organic offers these very things.
While on one hand, the world is giving credence to the benefits of organic food, the scientific community on the other, holds it view that there is no evidence of a nutritional difference between conventional and organic food. Why then should anyone consume organic food? The motivation for consumers up till now is linked to the simple belief that organic food will at least not cause any harm, and they are quite correct in this regard.