--- title: Organic Food Pesticides: Farming More Profitable Than Conventional description: Organic farming can be more lucrative than traditional farming, a new study finds canonical: https://time.com/3902279/organic-farming-environment/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-01T21:56:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:59:05.450Z article:section: Science og:title: Why It Might Actually Pay To Be an Organic Farmer og:description: Organic farming can be more lucrative than traditional farming, a new study finds og:url: https://time.com/3902279/organic-farming-environment/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt115f09c5b56f2ca1/6988527c06f2c138ad33a6de/organic-farming.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3825 og:image:height: 2152 og:image:alt: organic farming og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why It Might Actually Pay To Be an Organic Farmer twitter:description: Organic farming can be more lucrative than traditional farming, a new study finds twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt115f09c5b56f2ca1/6988527c06f2c138ad33a6de/organic-farming.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why It Might Actually Pay To Be an Organic Farmer > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fe9ba583-0e66-416e-860a-cd6f8533b4c0&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Explains: Trans-Fats [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Explains: Trans-Fats](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XbAGuNXW.m3u8) (1:42)  _Published 2013-11-07. The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. Here's what you need to know._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 1, 2015 9:56 PM UTC  Yellow mustard field and blue sky Yellow mustard field and blue sky Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 1, 2015 9:56 PM UTC Growing organic food can be significantly more profitable than traditional farming, netting organic farmers 22% to 35% more than their conventional counterparts, according to new [research](http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1423674112) published in the journal _PNAS._ In the meta-analysis of more than 120 studies on the economics of organic farming, Washington State University professor of entomology David Crower and his co-author found that organic farming typically yields 10 to 18% less than conventional farming. That lower output may be why some farmers doubt the benefits of going organic, but economic measures besides crop yield seem to play an important role. The premium prices customers pay for organic products more than make up for the lower yield; while only a 5 to 7% premium is required to break even, organic products typically have a 29 to 32% premium, the analysis found. Going organic requires farmers to spend 5 to 7% more on labor, but besides labor, costs are largely the same. “Public perception is that if you’re doing organic, maybe you’re sacrificing financial sustainability, but we show that’s really not the case,” says Crowder. “If you’re getting a 30% margin on your competitors, that would be the envy of almost any business.” Crowder says that organic farming provides a host of environmental benefits, including improved soil quality, along with benefits for biodiversity and ecology. The process of becoming an organic farmer isn’t necessarily quick and easy. Land must be pesticide free for three years; during that time, farmers can’t yet market their product as organic. But in spite of the drawbacks, Crowder says the huge and growing demand for organic food is unmatched by the current supply: only about 1% of farming currently utilizes organic methods. “We’re definitely not saying 100% should be organic,” Crowder says. “But there’s a really high demand for organic that isn’t being met right now.” ## Transcript The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. Here's what you need to know. [ MUSIC ] Trans fat is the byproduct of partially hydrogenated oils. We get trans fat when, under specific conditions, manufacturers bubble hydrogen gas through oil, and turn the liquid oil into a substance with any thickness they want [ MUSIC ] This not only gives food a desired texture, but it also increases the shelf life of processed foods, like cookies, frozen pizza, and doughnuts. However, trans fat clogs arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. It's estimated that if industry produced trans fat was eliminated, 20, 000 heart attacks and 7, 000 heart related deaths would be prevented each year. The FDA released a preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer generally recognized as safe. Without this classification, trans fats cannot be added to foods without FDA approval. [ MUSIC ] If this is finalized, these oils become unapproved food additives, and illegal to sell. It'll take some time before trans fat are completely out of our food system. Some foods like doughnuts, cookies, and frozen pizza still have trans fat. So, the FDA is allowing a 60 day commenting period for the food industry to suggest a time frame that's realistic for them. 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