Late July Organic Snacks & Standard Process receive NBJ's 2011 Organic awards

Although the health and environmental benefits of organic products abound, the hard reality is that they’re more expensive, more time consuming and all-around more difficult to create than non-organic alternatives.

And so in today’s strapped economy, when dollars are tight and competition is fierce, organic food and supplement manufacturers must make difficult business decisions to ensure future success, let alone to stay afloat. For many, this has meant cutting corners, such as switching to cheaper, nonorganic ingredients in order to boost profit margins.

But a few standout companies have taken the opposite approach, not only sticking to their organic ideals but trumpeting them, in turn spreading the organic message to a wider audience and buttressing consumer trust and brand loyalty.