Abstract
Rising concern for health and environmental issues associated with the rigorous use of chemical fertilizers has necessitated an alternate form of agriculture in Kerala, and that's how organic production came into existence. The organic agricultural production technique is considered to be quite conflicting with conventional production technique where the use of human-made fertilizers like pesticides, weedicides and insecticides are entirely banned. Organic products are perceived to be minimally processed to maintain the integrity of the food without artificial ingredients and preservatives. Therefore right from mid-eighties, consumers, particularly from the developed countries, started switching over towards organically produced food products as they more nutritious, healthy, and nature-friendly. Considering the organic market in Kerala, the state is still at its infant stage with a market share of less than 1%. Hence it is critical to investigate Kerala consumers low consumption level towards environmentally friendly products. The current research intents to explore the factors influencing Kerala consumers’ organic purchase behaviour based on data collected from 200 respondents (100 regular and 100 irregular organic users) using a structured questionnaire. Analysis techniques comprising of correlation and multiple linear regression has been applied for data evaluation. The research findings support the formulated hypothesis and aim at providing necessary guidelines for various stakeholders who are involved in the organic industry.
Highlights
The conventional method of agricultural production is considered to be one of the most significant threats posed to environmental sustainability as its function are dependent on the high level of energy and material cost involved in it
Based on the survey conducted respondents organic knowledge, their attitude, environmental concern and extend of satisfaction, trust and loyalty possessed by them seem to have the most influence over their purchase intentions
Analysis based on consumers' socio-demographic profile indicates that respondents belonging to both young and aged group are more likely to purchase organic products
Summary
The conventional method of agricultural production is considered to be one of the most significant threats posed to environmental sustainability as its function are dependent on the high level of energy and material cost involved in it. The urge to create a healthy as well as a sustainable environment has initiated the interest in generating awareness among the consumers to be sensible about their consumption behaviour. In the words of Vindigni [1], two fundamental criteria which determine consumers purchase intention towards organic products are his concern for health and environment. His existing organic knowledge, government support policies towards organic marketing, consumers’ perceived beliefs and attitudes should be taken into consideration. It is crucial to investigate the factors which motivate as well as hinders consumers’ organic food consumption, among the developed countries
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