Study: Organic Nutrition Saves Money and Protects the Climate

Healthy eating does not have to be expensive. On the contrary: A study by WWF Austria shows that a balanced diet with organic products, taking into account nutritional recommendations, is cheaper than the currently widespread meat-heavy diet with conventional foods in Austria.

Healthy organic diet cheaper than unhealthy conventional diet

According to calculations by nutrition economists Martin Schlatzer and Thomas Lindenthal, the conventional diet of a family of four costs around 610 euros per month. By reducing meat, sweets, alcohol, and avoiding soft drinks, up to 225 euros can be saved monthly – with a purely vegan diet.

In detail, according to the study commissioned by WWF, the following savings potential arises:

Switching to organic products slightly reduces these savings, but does not nullify them. According to WWF, organic food with a reduced meat content is already cheaper than a meat-heavy diet with cheap products from conventional production.

Dietary changes protect climate and health

In addition to financial relief, there are also significant ecological benefits: Greenhouse gas emissions decrease with an increasing share of plant-based foods. According to the study, the average diet currently causes 1.65 tons of CO₂ per person per year. A vegetarian organic diet reduces this value by more than 50 percent, and a vegan diet by around 70 percent.

Health-wise, organic products mainly offer advantages due to lower pollutant loads, according to study author Schlatzer: "Organic foods contain fewer heavy metals, residues of synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides." In addition, they offer higher levels of antioxidants and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Organic products are less affected by inflation

Even in times of rising prices, organic farming offers advantages. Between 2018 and 2023, a conventional food basket increased in price by one-third, while an organic basket only by one-fifth. Schlatzer explains this with lower dependency on fossil fertilizers, pesticides, and feed imports.

WWF expert Pegah Bayaty therefore sees a need for political action: "A healthy, plant-based organic diet must be affordable." She calls for, among other things, a reduction in VAT on fruits, vegetables, and legumes, as well as tax equality for plant-based milk alternatives with cow's milk.

(APA/Red)

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