When you go to the grocery store, what types of produce, otherwise called fruits and vegetables, do you buy? Do you look for “organic” labels or stick with conventional options? You may wonder the difference between the two. After all, an organically grown apple often looks and tastes the same as its conventionally grown, genetically modified counterpart. The price of the organic apple, however, will most likely be significantly higher than that of the conventional apple. Sometimes up to three times more expensive. Surprisingly, consumers still pay the “extra dollar” for the organic option. Organic fruits and vegetables are the products of an agricultural system that “avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth stimulators and additives” (Kouba 33). They are required to meet these government standards, established by the United States. Department of Agriculture “USDA”. For this reason, many assume that organic is the “healthiest and most nutritious” option. But is this hypothesis true? With the rise of health concerns in the United States, the demand for organic products has increased rapidly. Organic products are sold in nearly 20,000 health food stores and 3 out of 4 grocery stores. More recently, grocery store chains such as Walmart and Target have joined the trend and started selling organic options (Troller 8 ). Research suggests that consumers spent $7.8 billion on organic foods in 2000. That amount has increased about 25 percent per year since then, with fresh produce now the top-selling organic category. Additionally, recent statistics show that sales of organic products account for 4 percent of all food sales in the United States (Lockeretz 10). Health care professionals, including doctors and dietitians, typically encourage patients...... middle of paper ......894-900. Web. Dykes, Aaron. “Whole Foods Censors Expose GMOs? » Information wars. Np October 2, 2012. Web. April 23, 2014. Kouba, Maryline. “Quality of organic animal products. » Animal Production Science 80.1 (2003) 33-40. Web.Lockeretz, William. Organic agriculture: an international history. Cambridge, MA: CABI 2007.Print.Magnusson, Maria. “Consumer Perceptions of Organic and Genetically Modified Foods.” » Upsala University 131.71 (2004): 11-30. Web.McCredie, Scott. “Organic produce is expensive to grow and purchase.” The Seattle Times July 31, 2002: C.1. Print.Rosen, Joseph. “A review of nutritional claims made by organic food proponents.” » Comprehensive Reviews of Food Science and Food Safety 9.3 (2010): 270-277. Web. Wilcox, Christie. “Mythbusters 101: Organic Farming > Conventional Farming. » Scientific American. Np, and Web. April 23. 2014.