An analysis of factors affecting growth of organic food

Abstract

Purpose Food gives us essential nutrients to lead a healthy lifestyle but lately it has been found that many food products have become hazardous due to contamination and lead to many diseases. The rampant use of pesticides and chemical-based fertilizers in agriculture has, increased the productivity but at the same time they have created an alarming situation for the environment. The demand of the hour is to therefore to encourage organic farming and offer a better choice to consumers as well as save the environment. The purpose of this paper is to explore and understand the factors affecting perception of consumers on organic food products in Indian context. Design/methodology/approach The study used a structured survey of 150 respondents covering Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) of Ghaziabad, Noida and Faridabad (India). Exploratory research was used to know the variables from the literature that affect the perception of consumers regarding organic food. Descriptive research was used to understand the demographic profile of the organic food consumer’s. Conclusive research design was used to test the hypotheses based upon the motivating and inhibiting factor in the growth of organic food. Findings The data collected from the survey were analyzed using t-test, χ 2 test, factor analysis and multiple linear regression tests. Results indicated that the intention to purchase organic products was impacted by the consumer’s belief on the safety and health aspect of the product, trust and certification, information and availability and lifestyle and are hence drivers of growth. And certain impeding factors were identified like doubt in the professed quality of organic food, lack of awareness and price parity. Social implications There are enough evidences of fertile land being converted into wasteland because of use of agro- chemical-based fertilizers in farming. There are also enough incidents of polluted water (ground and surface) due to agrochemical-based farming. Heavy use of pesticides leads to adverse effect on the health of farmers also. There were many reports of farmers committing suicide because of debt due to heavy investment on pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farming is a win-win proposition for environment, farmers and consumer’s. Originality/value The study was an effort to understand awareness and perception of organic food consumers in urban India post-agriculture revolution. The result would help the organic food producing and marketing companies to understand the factors that influence the belief of consumers when they purchase organic food and henceforth they can formulate communication strategies and marketing policy based on consumer’s expectations.

Factors Influencing Organic Food Purchase Intention in Developing Countries and the Moderating Role of Knowledge

“…Moreover, the results for health consciousness align with those of Arvola, Vassallo [44], Krystallis and Chryssohoidis [88], Misra and Singh [89], Grubor and Djokic [90], de Magistris and Gracia [26], Zagata [63], Hamzaoui Essoussi and Zahaf [64], and Asif, Xuhui [74]. That is, intention to purchase organic products is influenced by consumers' beliefs on safety and health aspects.…”

Assessment of the impacts of the consumers’ awareness of organic food on consumption behavior

“…The distribution of scales according to organic information and TPB is given in Table 1. The scales used to determine the organic food purchasing behaviors of the consumers were derived from previous studies (Hoppe et al, 2013;Seo et al, 2014;Misra & Singh, 2016;Teng & Lu, 2016;Joshi & Rahman, 2017;Lian, 2017;Maichum et al, 2017;Singh & Verma, 2017;Hansen et al, 2018;Shin et al, 2018) and adapted to the conditions of Turkey. On addition to this, in the development of the model, TPB and studies regarding the preparation of questionnaire were also used (Ajzen, 2013).…”

“…Ot has been determined that consumption of organic food is seen in some consumer groups as a symbol of fashion and status and such groups show a positive attitude towards organic consumption. Ot has been determined that living areas have an impact on organic food consumption, and in this regard, people living in cities have come forward (Chen et al, 2014;Xie et al, 2015;Kapuge, 2016;Misra & Singh, 2016;Agovino et al, 2017;David & Ardiansyah, 2017;Du et al, 2017;Joshi & Rahman, 2017; Lian, 2017; Asif et al, 2018; Hansen et al, 2018). Taking these results into consideration, consumers are expected to have positive attitudes toward organic products.…”

Do We Know Organic Food Consumers? The Personal and Social Determinants of Organic Food Consumption

“…Furthermore, these motivational factors are related to high-quality food intake among adult consumers (Roos et al, 2012). In addition to price, low availability and satisfaction, lack of trust, and poor perceived value prevent consumers buying organic food (Davies et al, 1995;Żakowska-Biemans and Renko, 2011;Hilverda et al, 2016;Misra and Singh, 2016). McEachern and Mc Clean (2002) find that taste is another important factor.…”