IStock Photo 5697170 © Stephanie Horrocks

With even Wal-Mart carrying organic produce, you might think America is on the fast track to a pesticide-free future. But hold your horseradish—it ain’t necessarily so.

It’s true that more and more consumers are keeping their eyes peeled for the “organic” label, which, no longer signifying the shriveled turnips and gritty lettuce leaves of its infancy, has blossomed into a sign of quality. No one wants to eat a pesticide-sprayed peach. But crunch into an organic apple, and according to popular opinion, you’ll enjoy a delicious, healthy, and eco-conscious gift from Mother Earth.

Over a third of Americans, 1 in 2.56, believe organic food is yummier. If the White House’s new organic veggies didn’t taste good, would Michelle Obama really put in the work?

Consumers aren’t just impressed with the taste of organic food. Most people—1 in 1.32(76%)—think organic food is healthier, and 1 in 1.27(79%) believe it’s better for the environment.

But while the reputation of organic eating has been rising, many consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for their food—and almost everyone, 1 in 1.05 (95%), believes organic food is harder on the wallet. At the end of 2006, organic salad mix cost an extra $3.95 per pound over the conventional product, according to the USDA. By December 2007, organic milk cost $3.94 more per gallon than conventional milk. And with the current recession, some organic producers have had to close shop because of slumping demand for their high-priced products.

Perhaps because of its pricey reputation, organic food often feels like a luxury good, indicating status and quality. Organic potatoes sound classy; regular potatoes sound plain. For most people, organic eating remains a special splurge, not a lifestyle. Most are either occasional, 1 in 3.23 (31%), or rare, 1 in 3.03 (33%), buyers of organic foods. Die-hard organivores are 1 in 100.

High prices alone may not explain these numbers. Given the incredible publicity surrounding the healthy foods movement—that means you, Michael Pollan—why are there still so few all- or mostly-organic eaters?

Much uncertainty still surrounds our organic purchases. We wonder if pesticides can seep inside the thick peels of non-organic bananas and oranges, not to mention that thin-skinned peach. We wonder if the local, non-organic products on offer at the nearest Greenmarket are more environmentally friendly than organic ones shipped from halfway around the globe. And we’re wary of confusing or misleading standards and claims. So we’re left to wonder when paying a premium for organic food is worth the cost.