Abstract

Organic farming is one of the fastest growing sectors, both in developed and developing countries. Although Romania is in sixth place at the level of the European Union in terms of agricultural area, the share of ecologically certified areas is low. The fruits and vegetables sector is the most important for the agri-food production in Romania, accounting for 58% of the total cultivated area. In recent years, there is a tendency for consumers to focus on healthy diets with safe, high quality foods and high nutritional compounds from unpolluted areas. However, the Romanian market of organic fruits and vegetables is still underdeveloped due to the small number of consumers of organic products. The future of organic farming is largely dependent on attitude and consumer demand. The purpose of this paper is to study the attitudes and intentions of Romanian consumers towards the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables through direct research among 268 individuals. The results show that the attitudes of individuals towards the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables is directly and positively influenced by the information that individuals have about the characteristics of organic products, their personal needs and motivations, but also by external influences, and the purchase barriers do not represent elements with a strong enough influence on the attitude and intention.

Highlights

  • The last decades are characterized by a permanent concern for the protection of the environment and human health

  • To study the attitude and intention to buy of the Romanian consumer towards organic fruits and vegetables, we conducted a direct research through an online survey, based on a structured questionnaire, developed according to the purpose and the objectives of research

  • The measurement of the consumer understanding of the characteristics of organic fruits and vegetables by consumers was done by researching how respondents define organic products, because organic agriculture is defined in Romania as focusing on obtaining fresh and authentic agri-food products that meet the natural and environmental factors [57], for the consumer, these products are associated with products purchased from the market or directly from the source

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Summary

Introduction

The last decades are characterized by a permanent concern for the protection of the environment and human health In this context of sustainable development, agriculture faces new challenges: to produce more, to pollute less, and to distribute better [1]. The application of the new EU legislation on increasing the production of organic food in Europe since 2009 has resulted in a growing awareness of the benefits of organic food on health and the environment, with a direct impact on market growth [3]. A change in dietary preferences, sociodemographic factors, raising awareness about the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, and marketing policies of the food industry have led to an increase in the market for organic fruits and vegetables in Europe [2]

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