James Greiff , Columnist

Buy Organic, Help Big Food

Part of the allure of organic food is the idea that it's grown on small farms, yet much of it is actually produced, processed and marketed by Big Food.

June 13, 2014 at 4:02 PM UTC

By James Greiff

James Greiff is an editor for Bloomberg Opinion. He was Wall Street news team leader at Bloomberg News and senior editor for Bloomberg Markets magazine. He previously reported on banking for the St. Petersburg Times and the Charlotte Observer.

Just because it's organic doesn't mean it's not corporate-owned.

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

One reason people buy organic food is to support small farms and nonindustrial-scale food production. This sensibility is a legacy of the 1960s, when the organic-food movement took off among those suspicious of corporations.

The organic-food industry has come a long way since the days of the back-to-the-earth movement. It is a big, profitable and growing business. Big Food noticed this a long time ago. So today, much of the organic food in the U.S. is grown, processed and marketed by the very same companies many organic devotees find so objectionable.