Organic food has become very popular, and nowadays most food industries are in a rush of producing and selling organic foods. The popularity and current global market size is impressively demonstrated in numerical figures.According to Organic Monitor estimates, global organic sales reached $54.9 billion in 2009, up from $50.9 billion in 2008. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements reported that organic food is now a $63 billion industry worldwide.From 2002-2011, the industry grew a whopping 170 percent, averaging about 19 percent per year. The countries with the largest markets are the United States, Germany, and France. The highest per capita consumption is in Denmark, Switzerland and Austria.However, despite the high consumer demand for organic foods, partially due to popularity, there are still not enough organic farmers to support the need. The United States does actually import most of its organic foods from developing countries.Even though the organic farming industry has grown rapidly worldwide, organic agriculture still makes up less than 1 percent of the world's farming acreage with only 37.2 million hectares planted worldwide across 162 countries. – The main issue for the consumer is not the market or farming size but rather the troublesome navigation through the labyrinth of organic food labels, benefits and claims that are mostly confusing. You might have several questions in mind that are always judgmental of organic foods. And I am sure most of you might even have a biased opinion of them. Some of the questions we are asked today are in the circle of a few common ones, such as: Is organic food really healthier? Is it more nutritious? What do all the labels mean? Why is it so expensive? Well, if you're actually looking to minimize your exposure to pesticides and artificial hormones, organic is the right way to go. But in an ocean of shelves (that's what the market is as of today) swamped with products, the first question to spark up in your mind is "How do we know what we are buying is actually organic?" Coming up with an answer to this is pretty simple. All you need to do is learn to decrypt the packaging labels. With the following definition guide and cheat sheet, you'll be ready to find out how you can shop smart for organic food and how you can afford to incorporate more organic food into your diet. – What does ¨organic¨ mean and how is it incorporated in food? The term "organic" refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed.Specific requirements must be met and maintained in order for products to be labeled "organic."Crops: Organic crops must be grown in safe soil, have no modifications, and must remain separate from conventional farmers' products. Farmers are not allowed to use irradiation, sewage sludge, petroleumbased synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides or bioengineered genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to produce the crops. Livestock: Organic livestock; must have access to the outdoors, cultivation has to meet animal health and welfare standards, antibiotics or growth hormones should be avoided and be given 100 percent organic feed. While this applies to land animals, keep in mind that there is currently no such thing as certified organic fish.Multi-ingredient foods: The product has been verified to contain "95 percent or more certified organic content." Any ingredients that are specifically identified on the label as organic have been certified as such.Additionally, keep in mind that some foods, especially from local or small farmers, may be produced using organic standards but have not been officially certified as organic. – How do I know if what I'm buying is organic? Most organic foods carry an organic certification seal, which certifies that 95 percent or more of the contents of the product is organic. But, for a food to be labeled 100 percent organic, all ingredients, including processing aids, must be certified organic, which is pretty rare. Moreover, foods that say they were made "using organic ingredients," must be made up of at least 70 percent certified organic ingredients and the remaining ingredients do not need to be organically produced! – Is organic food really healthier? Is it more nutritious? Organic foods provide a variety of benefits.Some studies have shown that organic foods contain more beneficial nutrients - such as antioxidants - than their conventionally grown counterparts. In addition, people with allergies to foods, chemicals or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat organic foods only. Their health benefit lies in the absence of pesticides and fertilizers. Plants boost their production of phytochemicals (healthy substances such as vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to insects and weeds. Studies have linked pesticides in our food to all health conditions from headaches to cancer and even to birth defects, yet many experts maintain that the levels in conventional food are safe for most healthy adults. Even low-level pesticide exposure, however, can be significantly more toxic for fetuses and children (due to their less-developed immune systems) and for pregnant women - as it puts added strain on their already taxed organs - according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences. Additionally; 1- Organic produce contains fewer pesticides (May contain organic pesticides!) 2- Organic food is often fresher (No preservatives) 3- Organic farming is better for the environment (Reduces pollution) 4- Organically raised animals are not given antibiotics, growth hormones or fed animal byproducts. (Helps to reduce antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria and mad-cow disease) – Is organic food often more expensive? Organic foods are often, but not always, slightly more expensive than their conventional counterparts due to being more labor intensive since the farmers do not use pesticides, chemical fertilizers or drugs. Organic certification and maintaining this status is expensive as well. Additionally, organic feed for animals can cost twice as much, organic farms tend to be smaller than conventional farms, which means fixed costs and overheads must be distributed across smaller produce volumes.In conclusion, you can expect to pay anywhere from 30 percent more to double the price for organic foods due to these circumstances.However, some organic foods may actually cost the same or sometimes less, so be sure to compare prices before taking off an organic choice.Now it's time for our cheat sheet! You can learn which unexpected foods are safe to buy non-organic and which are worth the extra cost with this list provided by Environmental Working Group.Fruits and vegetables where the organic label matters the most.According to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that analyzes the results of government pesticide testing in the U.S., the following fruits and vegetables were found to have the highest pesticide levels on average. Since their pesticide levels are so high when conventionally grown, it is worth to buy these organic:– Apples – Sweet Bell Peppers – Cucumbers – Celery nPotatoes – Grapes – Cherry Tomatoes – Kale/Collard Greens nSummer Squash – Nectarines–Peaches–Spinach – Strawberries – Hot PeppersNon-organic fruits and vegetables with low pesticide levels that are OK to buy non-organic These conventionally grown fruits and vegetables were found to have the lowest levels of pesticides. These can be characterized simply based on having thicker skin, which naturally protects them better against pests, and which also means their production does not require the use of as many pesticides. – Asparagus – Avocado – Mushrooms – Cabbage – Sweet Corn – Eggplant – Kiwi – Mangos – Onions – Papaya – Pineapple – Sweet Peas – Sweet Potatoes – Grapefruit – Cantaloupe