Consumers’ Attitudes towards Organic Products and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Romania

Camelia Oroian,Bianca Bordeanu,Gabriela Chiciudean,Iulia Muresan,Calin Safirescu,Rezhen Harun,Felix Arion

doi:10.3390/su9091559

Abstract

Organic food consumption has increased during the last years as a consequence of its direct impact on consumer health, life style, and social convenience as well as on the environment and sustainable development. Compared to the European level, the consumption of organic food products is quite low in Romania. This paper investigates the perception and attitudes of the organic food consumers from the North-West Development Region of Romania. Consumers’ perception towards organic food products was measured using 30 items. The data were collected from 568 respondents and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A factor-cluster approach was used to identify consumer groups. The findings indicated that health concerns, sensory appeal, sustainable consumption and weight concerns are the main reasons for consuming organic food products. Three main groups of organic food consumers were identified: “gourmand”, “environmentally concerned” and “health concerned”.

Highlights

Organic farming is a viable alternative to conventional agriculture and contributes to sustainable development in terms of food safety and quality, environment and animal welfare [1]
Consumers are aware of the implications the consumption of organic products has for the sustainable development of agriculture
The results of the study showed that consumers of organic products are educated people over 35 years old who are aware of the effect of their diet on their health

Summary

Introduction

Organic farming is a viable alternative to conventional agriculture and contributes to sustainable development in terms of food safety and quality, environment and animal welfare [1]. There is general consensus that the demand for organic food substantially has increased in the last two decades, transforming a niche-industry into a well-developed market [3,4]. The reason for this phenomenon lays firstly within the changes in the consumer perception on food, which, according to scholars [5], is no longer just a means to satisfy hunger, but has gained multiple dimensions due to consumer concerns on health issues, environmental safety and animal welfare. To meet the demand for organic products, the main actors on the organic market must be aware of consumer perceptions regarding these products [6].

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Conclusion