Consumer attitudes towards organic food in the Western Balkans - the case of Albania

Abstract

Despite the production and market potential for the organic food sector, organic farming is weakly developed in Albania. The sector faces several constraints related to legislation, institutional and private sector capacities. A major challenge for the development of the organic food demand in Albania is the limited awareness of Albanian consumers for organic products. This paper provides insights into the consumer awareness and preferences towards organic food, applying descriptive and segmentation analysis based on a structured survey conducted in Tirana, Albania. According to the study results, there is an overall strong preference for organic food, as organic food is perceived to be safer and healthier compared to conventionally produced food, while environmental considerations of how organic food is grown are not as important in consumers’ view. Despite the overall preference for organic food, most consumers have gaps in their understanding about organic food which should be addressed with awareness campaigns by the private sector and policy makers.