Consumer attitudes and behavior towards organic products: Evidence from the Lithuanian market

Lina Pilelienė,Vilma Tamulienė

doi:10.7341/20211719

Abstract

Purpose: The paper analyzes consumer attitudes and related behavior towards organic products and determines the factors affecting consumer attitudes towards organic products andLithuanian consumers' choices. Methodology: Previous scientific works are analyzed and generalized in order to provide scientific substantiation for the research. A questionnaire survey is provided in order to approve the theoretically established factors in the Lithuanian market of organic products. The questionnaire is comprised of 23 statements representing eight latent variables: six possible reasons for the choice of an organic product (health issues; environmental concerns; food safety and quality; economic reasons; social reasons; psychological reasons) and two possible outcomes (intentions to choose organic products; actual organic product purchases). The survey results are based on the answers of 269 respondents representing the population of the four biggest cities in Lithuania. Findings: The results indicate the structural differences between theory and its application for the Lithuanian market; therefore, the factors are reestablished. The research results show the high level of Lithuanian consumers’ environmental consciousness; also, a willingness to share information relating to environmental issues with friends; and active engagement in sharing information about environmentally related issues. However, consumer awareness of the relationship between organic products, and health and quality issues is lower, indicating the necessity to be managed. Also, consumers do not express high agreement that organic products have to be more expensive; they do not intend to pay a higher price for them. Research results show that Lithuanian consumers do not choose organic products often and they also do not express conformable behavior (resulting from organic product purchases). Implications for theory and practice: The research results enable the ability to compose a clear framework of Lithuanian consumer attitudes and behavior towards organic products. The established factors affecting consumer attitudes and behavior can be further explored and modeled according to different market situations. Originality and value: Based on the results, companies can elaborate on effective marketing strategies fostering consumer attitudes and behavior in a particular way.

Highlights

According to statistics presented by The Word Organic Agriculture Statistics and Emerging Trends (2018), the consumption of organic produce is growing impressively; global sales of organic products in 2016 were almost 90 billion US dollars
In the context of Western European countries, Lithuania has become an important producer of organic products; it has a relatively small internal market for organic produce
The review of the scientific literature and the research of scientists representing different countries has enabled a bundle of factors to be established that possibly affect organic product choices

Summary

Introduction

According to statistics presented by The Word Organic Agriculture Statistics and Emerging Trends (2018), the consumption of organic produce is growing impressively; global sales of organic products in 2016 were almost 90 billion US dollars. Ireland and France saw more than 20 percent growth in the consumption of organic produce, while in Switzerland, it grew by 8.4 percent. Sales of organic produce became common in Western Europe with Germany having organic produce sales of 10.4 billion US dollars and France 7.8 billion US dollars. The largest markets among countries in Europe were in Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Sweden. Central and Eastern European countries such as Poland, Hungary and Lithuania emerged on the map of organic products as producers, even having market shares below 1 percent

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