Consumers Perceptions Towards Organic Food in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Consumer behavior in purchasing organic food products in Muslim countries has rarely been studies. This research studied people's understanding, perceptions and purchasing behaviour of organic foods of 360 consumers in three regions of Yogyakarta province of Indonesia. It was found that people had limited knowledge of organic food. In comparison with conventionally produced foods, consumers hold positive attitudes towards organic foods. Statistical analysis revealed that age, income and education levels influence people's perceptions. However, perceptions were not affected by gender, in contrast with similar studies in developed countries. The major obstacles preventing people from purchasing organic foods was high price, unavailability, lack of credential s and poor appearance. The implications of these finds to the chain management are also discussed.

The Determinants of Organic Vegetable Purchasing in Jabodetabek Region, Indonesia

“…However, this finding is in contrast with References [ 22 , 39 , 40 ] that did not find a significance of the household size variable in determining consumers choices. Finally, we also found that the PRICE variable was the major obstacle in buying organic foods for most consumers, which is consistent with previous studies [ 14 , 19 , 26 , 86 ]. This means that higher prices for organic vegetables, compared to conventionally grown vegetables, is a relevant factor for not purchasing organic vegetables.…”

“…The expectation of good health as a main reason for purchasing organic food was similar with other studies [ 19 , 35 , 36 ]. The importance of health and safety in determining consumers’ purchasing decisions also confirms the results from most previous studies on organic foods that stated the reasons for Indonesian consumers in purchasing organic foods are safety and health concerns [ 3 , 12 , 16 , 79 , 80 ].…”

“…This study suggests that consumers’ main reasons for choosing an organic products are health factors, vitamin content, dietary purpose, a product’s being satisfying, and to support the government’s “Go Green” program. Kurnia et al [ 14 ] examined consumer perceptions of organic food in Yogyakarta. They found that socio-demographic variables, such as age, income, and education levels influence people’s perceptions towards organic food attributes.…”

“…From previous studies [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], Indonesian consumer choices with respect to organic foods seem to only be analyzed based on socio-demographics (e.g., age, education, income, and children in the household) and health reasons. Meanwhile, consumer preferences towards organic food are complex; not only linking food to health, but also linking food to their awareness of the environment, attitudes toward organic products, and trustworthiness of information [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”