Comparison of the Health Cost of Organic and Conventional Vegetable Cultivation in Getasan Sub-district, Semarang, Indonesia

Abstract

Environmental damage will disrupt the ecosystem to support life. Unsustainable agriculture can be a source of environmental degradation. Conventional agriculture may have an effect on the environment, thus the participation of various parties in sustainable agriculture is needed. Organic agriculture is developed as an environmentally friendly agricultural cultivation with many benefits. Compared to the attention on occupational health, safety and environmental problems, economic motives receive less attention. This study aims to calculate the costs arising from the health impacts of vegetable cultivation. There were 314 respondents interviewed in this study. There were significant differences in the sickness complaints felt by respondents; organic farmer groups have the potential to incur health costs of Rp. 30,333.33, while the conventional group is higher, with a cost of Rp. 103.303.57 (US$ 7.38). Organic farming has a better impact because it uses natural ingredients and is not bad for health. The potential losses arising from health cases also show a high and significant number (p <0.001).