Factors influencing the purchase behaviour of organic food products in the Generation Y cohort
The modern consumer is inundated with various hazardous issues, especially concerning the environment. The increased environmental awareness has altered the way consumers think about their food purchases. Consequently, organic food products are receiving a lot more attention and consumers are opting to consume organic products over their traditional counterparts. This organic consumption change may be attributed to factors, such as environmental issues, health concerns, future preservation and natural taste. Often these organic food choices are linked to consumers that seek to change their lifestyles to be more environmentally conscious or loyal to pro-environmental causes. An organic food product has been defined in a multitude of facets, however, each definition generally retains the same core basis. In general, these products have been produced in a sustainable manner and are free from harmful agents, such as pesticides, mineral fertilisers, artificial colorants and any other harmful chemical agent. As South Africa is an emerging country in retrospect of organic food and environmentalism as a whole, South African consumers are demanding more organic products and safer sustainable business practices than ever before. The environmental movement is on the rise and businesses need to comply with this new demand should they wish to stay relevant in the ever-changing consumer market. Organic product prices are perceived as being more expensive than traditional products, this directly effects the purchase decision of a product. Increasing demand should result in decreasing prices over time, encouraging more organic product purchases. Other factors may also affect the purchase decision of organic products and these may include health consciousness, convenience, attitudes and overall purchase behaviour. This raises the question of what factors influence the South African Generation Y consumer to purchase organic products. Keywords: Organic food, Health consciousness, environmentalism, Generation Y.
- Research Article
3
- 10.9734/ejnfs/2021/v13i1030457
- Dec 27, 2021
- European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety
Comparison of Organic and Conventional Food and Food Production
- Research Article
18
- 10.3390/su9040545
- Apr 4, 2017
- Sustainability
We analyze the organic and non-organic production choices of two firms by considering customers’ trust in organic food products. In the context of customers’ possible willingness to pay a premium price and their mistrust in organic food products, two firms first make choices on offering organic and non-organic food products. If offering organic products, a firm can further invest in the credence system to increase customers’ trust in their organic products. At the final stage, two firms determine prices. We provide serval insights. First, we characterize the market conditions in which only one firm, both firms or neither firm will choose to offer organic food products. We find that the higher the production costs or credence investment costs for organic food products are, the more likely firms are to choose to produce non-organic food products. Second, if it is expensive enough to invest in organic credence, offering organic food products may still be uncompetitive, even if organic production cost appears to have no disadvantage compared to non-organic food products. Third, we highlight how the prices of organic food products in equilibrium are affected by market parameters. We show that when only one firm offers organic food products, this firm tends to offer a relatively low price if organic credence investment is expensive. Fourth, we highlight how one firm’s credence investment decision in equilibrium can be affected by the product type choice of the other firm. We find that the investment in organic credence is lower when both firms offer organic food products compared with the case when only one firm offers organic food products.
- Research Article
- 10.47172/2965-730x.sdgsreview.v5.n01.pe01753
- Oct 21, 2024
- Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review
Introduction: Given the significance of organic food research in food manufacturing industry, bibliometric analysis within the period of 1998 to 2023 was utilised to provide a review of the body of work published in this area. The framework and central idea of the literature on organic food production in food and beverages industry by using the bibliometric analysis of the literature was further determined. To comprehend the thematic organisation and knowledge of organic food research in food manufacturing industry, the bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis are carried out. Additionally, research trends and research direction in organic food development in food and beverages industry were fully understand by utilised co-occurrence and confluence analysis. The results of this study has suggested that there are more research are related to organic food demand and consumption which are linked to production of the organic food. Objective: Given the significance of organic food research in food manufacturing industry, bibliometric analysis within the period of 1998 to 2023 was utilised to provide a review of the body of work published in this area. Theoretical Framework: Organic production and terms related to organic food were combined in this study's nomenclature. The keywords linked with each sector had to be used to make sure that this research addressed all aspects of organic food and organic production. Method: The Scopus database, which is the largest biographical database, was used for data extraction and analysis. The research evolution and themes of organic food research in the food manufacturing industry were covered in the study for various time periods. Results and Discussion: The research evolution and themes of organic food research in the food manufacturing industry were covered in the study for various time periods. This study outlined the evolution of organic food research in the food manufacturing industry as well as potential research topics for academics.To further comprehend the research paradigm from high-quality publications, future studies may use bibliometric analysis on SCI, SSCI, and ABDC-listed articles solely. Research Implications: The current study has a number of ramifications for academics, businesspeople, marketers, and scholars. They ought to learn about the general studies that have been done in this field. They can use these papers to address the current issues in academia and business by being aware of the important contributors to this field of research and their motivations for doing so. Originality/Value: By examining many facets of organic food research, researchers have made significant contributions to this field. Studies are primarily focused on consumers’ demand facet, but there are fewer studies on the supply side from food and beverages industry. The first study on organic food development was carried out in 1998, according to the Scopus database. Since its inception till the present, organic food has taken many different forms. As there is no study that specifically focuses on organic food production in food and beverages industry, there is a need to research develop in the field of development of organic food production in food and beverages industry.
- Research Article
30
- 10.17485/ijst/2015/v8i33/78261
- Jan 20, 2015
- Indian Journal of Science and Technology
Background: Organic products now a days are considered as healthy by most of the buyers as these are made up of natural substances. Organic products are grown without the use of fertilizers, artificial chemicals, and pesticides. The Indian organic food market although initsnascent stage, has started growing rapidly. Consumers prefer organic food due to safety, human health, and environmental concern and also due to attributes like nutrition value, taste, freshness and appearance of organic food matters a lot for consumers. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Multiple linear regression technique was used to find the determinants which could explain the preference among consumers to buy the organic food products. Descriptive statistics was used to understand the demographic information. Findings: From this study, it is seen that the consumers prefer to buy organic food products, there are various factors impacting the preference including demographic characteristics of the consumers. It has been observed that females have more preference for organic food products as compared to male respondents. More number of educated respondents prefers to buy organic food products. Age group of 29-39 prefers to buy organic food as compared to other age groups. Also people of higher income group prefer to buy organic food. Consumers prefer to buy organic food products because of their perception that the organic food products are healthy and safe, nutritious and environment friendly. Application and Improvement: This research reveals the determinants of consumer preference towards organic food and it will be useful for the marketers to design a suitable marketing mix. This research can be incorporated to implement the various marketing strategies by the marketers and other factors impacting the preference of theconsumers in the various strata of the society.
- Research Article
2
- 10.55463/issn.1674-2974.50.8.1
- Jan 1, 2023
- Journal of Hunan University Natural Sciences
This study aimed to explore how consumers perceive organic food products, their behavioral intentions, and actual purchasing behavior toward organic products . This study reviewed the literature on planned behavior theory, emphasizing the link between beliefs and behavior. It has been applied to studies of the relationship between ideas, perception, behavioral intentions, and buying behavior, which is described in the article - the research use of the theory of planned behavior on organic food products. The data used in the study were collected through 344 questionnaires conducted at supermarkets in the Hanoi and HCMC areas using the convenience sampling method. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal ingredient extraction and varimax rotation was performed to assess consumer perception of organic products. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) then confirmed four aspects of organic food products perceived by consumers, with a total Variation explained. The findings show that consumers’ perceptions of the product safety, health, environmental friendliness, and animal welfare greatly influence their intention to buy organic food. In contrast, consumers’ perceived quality of organic food products has a negligible impact on their purchase intentions. The actual purchase behavior of organic food products is significantly influenced by the intent to purchase the product. The findings of this study provide valuable information to help marketers develop effective marketing strategies to convince consumers to be interested in organic food and enhance environmentally friendly purchasing behavior in Vietnam. Keywords: customer’s perception, purchase intention, purchase behavior, organic food products. https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.50.8.1
- Research Article
7
- 10.1016/j.foodqual.2024.105369
- Nov 12, 2024
- Food Quality and Preference
Combining text mining of social media data and conjoint approach to investigate consumer choices on organic food
- Research Article
4
- 10.1057/s41599-024-02984-9
- Mar 29, 2024
- Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Organic food production is recognized by most countries and regions worldwide as a method of ecological and environmental protection because traditional agricultural practices significantly use pesticides and other chemicals, creating severe issues regarding the ecological, environmental, and food safety issues. Most research on organic production focuses on large-scale organic production. This study focuses on growing noncommercial, small-scale urban organic food using the value-belief-norm (VBN) model to explore the pro-environmental behavior regarding organic food production from a psychological perspective. We employed nonprobability sampling because of the absence of a sampling framework for the target population. We obtained a sample of 621 respondents from noncommercial urban botanists in China followed by quantitative methods to examine the relationships among variables using partial least squares structural equation modeling. This study focused on organic food behavior by modifying the VBN theory, which built trust in organic food production methods and developed a structural equation model to explain the underlying motivational factors that influenced the propensity to grow organic food. Finally, the path analysis results demonstrated that all hypothesized associations were statistically significant, except for the ecological worldview on personal norms and trust in organic food production, and personal norms on intention toward organic food production. Overall, the results of this study verify the validity of the VBN theory in the context of organic food consumption as a pro-environmental behavior. Therefore, relevant departments and governments should take measures to promote organic food production in China from a psychological perspective.
- Research Article
- 10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i12o.3391
- Jan 1, 2024
- International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research
This study investigates the perceptions of urban households in Kanpur Nagar towards organic food products, focusing on their health benefits, cost, quality, taste, health consciousness, variety, consumption frequency, and price variation. Organic food products are a holistic approach to farming and food production that prioritizes sustainability, health, and environmental stewardship. Understanding local consumer attitudes is crucial for promoting the adoption of organic food. A survey was conducted on 200 randomly selected respondents, and the data collected through the interview schedule method. The majority of respondents preferred consuming organic food items as a prestige signal in society and due to their nutrient-rich nature. Most respondents fully preferred certified standard products, while fruits, vegetables, milk, and their products were mostly consumed because they were good to very good but expensive. Most respondents frequently consumed organic food products. Consumer perception towards organic products relates to their eco-friendly nature and health benefits. However, high costs and limited availability of organic products are significant challenges. To raise consumer awareness of the key justifications for promoting organic food, which are primarily connected to environmental protection, it is essential to systematically educate and raise consumer awareness of these reasons. High costs and limited availability of organic products are significant challenges, and it is crucial to educate and raise consumer awareness of these reasons to promote organic food adoption.
- Research Article
- 10.9734/jsrr/2026/v32i23944
- Feb 2, 2026
- Journal of Scientific Research and Reports
The increasing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of organic food products has led to a growing demand for these products worldwide. This study examines consumer attitudes toward purchasing organic food products in Andhra Pradesh, India, by analyzing key factors influencing buying behavior, barriers to adoption, and overall consumer perceptions. A survey of 300 respondents was conducted to assess demographic characteristics, income levels, education, and awareness of organic foods. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, step-down regression and correlation analysis. The findings reveal that majority of consumers (89.33%) were young adults aged 18-33 years, predominantly male (71.67%), and highly educated, with 91.67% having completed graduation or higher studies. Despite 52.67% of respondents belonging to lower-income (below Rs.50,000), there was strong positive sentiment towards organic food products, with 97% of respondents believing organic foods to be healthier than conventional alternatives. The study found that taste (85% agreed), quality (88% agreed), and hygiene (88% agreed) were key factors driving organic food purchases. While consumers showed high awareness and positive attitudes towards organic products, availability and accessibility remained significant challenges, with 88.33% of respondents reporting limited market availability. The research also identified interesting purchasing patterns, with most respondents preferring weekly (63.66%) or monthly (63.33%) purchases, primarily from supermarkets and malls (83.66%). Price sensitivity emerged as a notable factor, with 46.33% of respondents acknowledging that organic products are more expensive than conventional alternatives. A step-down regression revealed that income were significantly associated with consumer attitudes. Correlation analysis revealed that positive and significant relationship between age, Gender, annual income and Occupation at 0.05 and 0.01 levels of probability respectively. The findings highlight the growing acceptance of organic food products among educated, urban consumers in Andhra Pradesh, while also identifying key barriers such as availability and price. The study's insights can help policymakers, marketers, and organic food producers develop targeted strategies to promote organic food consumption in regions.
- Research Article
232
- 10.1016/j.foodqual.2014.05.001
- May 9, 2014
- Food Quality and Preference
The role of price as a product attribute in the organic food context: An exploration based on actual purchase data
- Research Article
455
- 10.1186/s12940-017-0315-4
- Oct 27, 2017
- Environmental Health
This review summarises existing evidence on the impact of organic food on human health. It compares organic vs. conventional food production with respect to parameters important to human health and discusses the potential impact of organic management practices with an emphasis on EU conditions. Organic food consumption may reduce the risk of allergic disease and of overweight and obesity, but the evidence is not conclusive due to likely residual confounding, as consumers of organic food tend to have healthier lifestyles overall. However, animal experiments suggest that identically composed feed from organic or conventional production impacts in different ways on growth and development. In organic agriculture, the use of pesticides is restricted, while residues in conventional fruits and vegetables constitute the main source of human pesticide exposures. Epidemiological studies have reported adverse effects of certain pesticides on children’s cognitive development at current levels of exposure, but these data have so far not been applied in formal risk assessments of individual pesticides. Differences in the composition between organic and conventional crops are limited, such as a modestly higher content of phenolic compounds in organic fruit and vegetables, and likely also a lower content of cadmium in organic cereal crops. Organic dairy products, and perhaps also meats, have a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids compared to conventional products. However, these differences are likely of marginal nutritional significance. Of greater concern is the prevalent use of antibiotics in conventional animal production as a key driver of antibiotic resistance in society; antibiotic use is less intensive in organic production. Overall, this review emphasises several documented and likely human health benefits associated with organic food production, and application of such production methods is likely to be beneficial within conventional agriculture, e.g., in integrated pest management.
- Research Article
1
- 10.9734/ejnfs/2024/v16i31398
- Mar 16, 2024
- European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety
Organic food has become useful nowadays and every person know the benefits and effect of the organic products. Organic food products Opinion of consumer price and quality of organic food products during Covid-19 49.2% respondents give the opening organic food is good and health effective other conventional food products standard deviations 1.9. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on various aspects of human life, including dietary choices and health concerns. As people have become increasingly conscious of their health and well-being, the demand for organic food products has surged.Organic food products have gained popularity for several reasons. Firstly, they are perceived as being healthier and more nutritious than conventionally produced foods, as they are cultivated without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modified organisms. During the pandemic, individuals have shown a heightened awareness of the need to bolster their immune systems, leading to a greater interest in organic foods believed to contain fewer chemical residues and potentially higher levels of essential nutrients. Secondly, the pandemic has accentuated the importance of food safety and security. With disruptions in the global food supply chain, people have turned to locally-sourced and organic foods as a means of ensuring a steady supply of high-quality, uncontaminated products. Many have come to value transparency and traceability associated with organic food production, as it offers a sense of control and security in uncertain times. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of industrial agriculture and the associated environmental concerns. Consumers have become more conscious of the environmental impact of their food choices and have turned to organic products, which often have lower carbon footprints, support sustainable farming practices, and promote biodiversity. This abstract highlights the opinion people about organic food products in human life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to an increased focus on health, food safety, and sustainability, organic foods have emerged as a preferred choice for many consumers, reflecting a broader shift towards more conscious and conscientious eating habits.
- Research Article
1
- 10.9734/acri/2025/v25i71312
- Jun 27, 2025
- Archives of Current Research International
The growing awareness of health and environmental sustainability has increased interest in organic food consumption. This study was conducted in Udaipur to analyse consumer behaviour towards organic food products. One hundred respondents were randomly selected from various colleges of MPUAT, Udaipur, Rajasthan, and data were collected through a structured Google Form based on a modified, tailor-made questionnaire. The study employed descriptive statistical tools, including Mean, Standard Deviation (SD), Mean Per Score (MPS), and ranking. The findings revealed a high level of awareness regarding organic food products, with 92% of respondents reporting familiarity. Health benefits, environmental concerns, and quality assurance influenced purchase behaviour. Most respondents (86%) purchased organic products, particularly vegetables, grains, and fruits, with local stores and farmers' markets being the most common sources. However, price sensitivity and availability were significant concerns. While many were willing to pay a premium for organic products, a substantial number also expressed that such purchases affected their family budgets. The independent variables like level of education, number of family members and Monthly income were positively significant, and occupation was negatively significant. The study concludes that while there is a strong awareness and positive perception of organic products among the student population, affordability and accessibility remain barriers to broader adoption. Strategic awareness campaigns and policy interventions could further promote organic food consumption. The finding implies the need for strategic awareness campaigns, improvement in supply chain and policies related to organic food so that organic food become more affordable and accessible. Future research could explore impacts of awareness programme, consumer trust in certification of organic products to bridge the gaps.
- Research Article
180
- 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00960.x
- Jan 4, 2011
- International Journal of Consumer Studies
This paper presents a qualitative study of the trade-offs made by organic food product consumers in the Chinese Metropolis of Shanghai. More precisely, this article deals with trade-offs that consumers make between three types of products: (1) locally produced organic food products, (2) products that are locally and conventionally produced and (3) imported organic food products. We used a qualitative methodology using open questions and projective techniques and based on 23 individual interviews. Local organic products are the products best perceived by the Chinese interviewees, who think that organic food is beneficial to health and makes agriculture more environmentally friendly. The fact that food is produced locally is another positive argument for many interviewees who do not perceive any important differences between local and imported, more expensive, organic food products. Local and conventionally produced food products give rise to worries related to health and consumers buy them only because they are much cheaper than organic products. The reasons for choosing organic products are mostly related to health issues. Altruistic motives such as environmental concerns, food miles concerns or support for small producers are only emerging. This study mostly highlighted consumers' trade-offs between different individual benefits, mainly health vs. economic benefits. However, some trade-offs between altruistic (environmental concerns) and individual (economic) benefits are apparent, confirming emerging altruistic motives behind organic food consumption.
- Research Article
9
- 10.7161/anajas.2015.30.2.199-206
- Jul 25, 2015
- ANADOLU JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Recently, the sustainabilty of rapidly developing organic agriculture and food products sector in many countries depends largerly on the demand of consumers. This study examines the consumers’ behaviour for organic agriculture and food products in the European Union (EU) and Turkey. The main data contain various related studies conducted in European countries and Turkey. This study reviews this field studies and synthesis them to reach general conclusions. While organic food products have been consumed regularly by most European consumers, the consumption of organic products in Turkey has generally been unsteady and low. The studies conducted in some selected provinces in Turkey showed that one of the main reasons for the low consumption level of organic food products was high price and the lack of information provided by marketing companies and low level of knowledge owned by the consumers. Sustainability and availability of organic food products in the domestic organic market are critically important to increase consumers’ demand for organic agriculture and food products in Turkey. Thus, the organic producers and marketing companies should adopt more consumer focused marketing approaches and monitor the developments in the world organic markets to be sustainable in the organic sector.