Grocery shoppers in the United States have an abundance of options to choose from, and a wide range of prices accompanying varying selections.
Items labeled as organic typically sell for a premium over non-organic counterparts, but many consumers are unaware of the market forces that factor into the pricing.
Premiums, once as high as 170 percent for some items—such as spinach in 2015—are on the decline and are currently about 20 percent higher than conventionally grown produce, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
While all farms face certain regulatory hurdles at the federal, state, and local levels, organic producers are saddled with more comprehensive rules to abide by….