By Alison Snyder
Wal-Mart plans to expand its selection of organic products by more than 100 items this summer and offer its selection at low prices - a move that has Wal-Mart-sized potential to change the structure of the organic food market.
'If Wal-Mart starts to undersell health food stores, it will make it much harder for small farmers to make a living,' said Jeanette Drake, who co-owns Drake Family Farms in West Jordan, a small farm that sells a variety of goat products to local farmers markets and businesses.
The Drake''s business was recently contacted by a Wal-Mart representative and discussed selling goat products at a local Wal-Mart. Drake said the business probably won''t sell the products to Wal-Mart because things fell through. However, she said she wouldn''t have reservations about selling to Wal-Mart.
'We''re open to selling whenever we can,' Drake said. 'If they were a good customer and they paid us as much as the other stores and sold our product for us, that would be fine.'
Many small farms like Drake''s participate in 'natural' farming, because they are unable to afford the price accompanying the USDA government label of 'certified organic.'
In order to have a product be officially labeled 'organic,' a government certifier must inspect farms to make sure farmers are following certain rules and standards. Organic food is produced without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation and organic poultry and dairy products must also come from animals that are not given any antibiotics or growth hormones.
Many owners of small farms feel they still offer quality products, even if they aren''t officially labeled as organic. For Tom Buckley, owner of a small farm in Benjamin, this is the case. He said most certified organic farming is done by giant production farms that can afford the USDA label.
Unlike Drake, he said he thinks the greatest impact of Wal-Mart''s interest in organic food will be to lower prices by increasing overall awareness of the benefits of organic food.
'Wal-Mart selling organic food opens the door to be able to educate the people about what organic means and what we are doing,' he said.
The percentage of organic food selections at Wal-Mart stores will vary based on local demand.
' are all working together to make sure that we take the best advantage of available supply to provide our customers with products they want,' said Karen Burk, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart.
Contrary to a statement recently made in the New York Times, Burk said Wal-Mart will not offer organic products for just 10 percent more than conventional products. They will probably be more expensive than that conjectured price.
Overall, sources said that Wal-Mart''s expansion into organic foods will benefit consumers as well as those involved in the organic business.
'I think it will have a very positive effect,' said Rachel Humphrey, co-owner of Good Earth Natural Foods, a health foods store in Provo. 'The more you educate people, the more they are interested in organic. Wal-Mart will bring more awareness to organic foods, and that will only have positive effects on the industry.'
She said she thinks Wal-Mart''s involvement will introduce many people to what organic food is, the products offered as well as the negative effects of chemicals used on conventional food.
'When farmers see that there''s a demand for organic foods, you''ll have more and more people who are willing to produce it, and that will drive the prices down,' Humphrey said. She felt Wal-Mart''s extensive influence will inevitably do this.
'A good thing can only grow,' said Craig Dineley, nutrition manager at Harvest Fresh Natural Foods, a health foods store in Orem. 'It can''t be kept a secret because it is a good thing, and it''s definitely a plus for peoples'' health.'
Dineley said he thinks that, in a nutshell, increased organic awareness will result in the expansion of the industry.
'The fact is that if it''s good for the health of the general population, that''s great,' he said. 'If it benefits that, hip hip hooray.'