Proponents of mainstream agriculture say the “price premium” of organic is too much to ask of cash-strapped consumers. But a growing faction of farmers, activists, scientists and legislators are sounding the alarm that the debt incurred by a chemical- and drug-dependent food system is not measured in dollars and cents, but in human lives and environmental impact.

In this guide, NFM presents interviews with industry experts and those on the front lines to answer the question, what is the true cost of organic? Also: Get the basics on organics with a brief history, resources to tap into, how organics are qualified, and who is shaking up the industry now.