Lifestyle pattern underlying organic and traditional food consumption

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to set out to define lifestyle pattern framing behavior shared by traditional food products (TFP) and organic foods (OF) consumers to identify, if possible, a generic way to facilitate development of TFP and OF production in order to pave the road for more sustainable food production and consumption. Design/methodology/approach – A convenience, non-probabilistic sample (n=800) was designed and customer survey was conducted in December 2013 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis were performed to identify common lifestyle pattern shaping consumption of both products’ groups. Findings – TFP and OF consumption patterns are driven by common lifestyle pattern defined by concern for welfare of all people, social equality and nature; and by consumers’ belief that food is a basis of their health, while food and cooking make an important part of family life. Practical implications – This study shows that public and private promotion/marketing policies for OF and TFP need to be designed in a way that strongly emphasizes their symbolic meaning that elicits in consumers feeling of belonging to both local community and their family, and at the same time highlights the level of social responsibility of their producers. In addition, this study contributes to the body of knowledge in this area. Originality/value – No similar study has been done to date that was focussed on identifying common combination of lifestyle factors that frame and drive customers’ tendency to purchase either TFP or OF products. This study offers a unique and valuable insight into topics and values around which a generic public or private promotional strategy for the two product groups would evolve, and which will decide effectiveness of any such strategy.

Sustainability Transitions in Bosnian Agro-Food System

“…Medicinal or healthy plants, produced or wildly collected, are also sold at drugstores and pharmacies and make a significant share of organic production (Dimitrije and Tomic, 2010). Studies show that there is an awareness for organically produced products and that people's choice to buy them is because of their ecologically and socially sustainable production (Vukasovič, 2013;Nikolić et al, 2014). On the other hand, Bosnian consumers cannot pay higher prices for certified organic products and are satisfied with the taste and quality of locally produced food.…”

“…On the other hand, Bosnian consumers cannot pay higher prices for certified organic products and are satisfied with the taste and quality of locally produced food. They put them in the same category of food, because of the rare use of pesticides (Dimitrije and Tomic, 2010;Giraud et al, 2013;Nikolić et al, 2014). Nevertheless, the domestic organic market is small (about 0.4% of the total food market) but growing (Dimitrije and Tomic, 2010).…”

Lifestyle Demographic and Food Label Consumption

“…The quality of environment can be improved when people choose to buy organic food. Environmental information on products can be presented on a continuum that ranges from simple symbols, to colour codes to other labels with basic information and to detailed environmental information about single or multiple product ingredients [8].…”

Determinants of organic market development in the Western Balkans

“…Jedan od važnih motiva za kupovinu organske hrane u Hrvatskoj i Sloveniji je dobrobit životinja, dok za potrošače u BiH isti motiv ima marginalnu važnost(Cerjak et al, 2010). Potrošnja kako organske, tako i tradicionalne hrane, u BiH je determinisana zajedničkim stilom života koji se ogleda u verovanju potrošača da je hrana osnov njihovog zdravlja, dok pripremanje hra ne predstavlja važan segment njihovog porodičnog života(Nikolić et al, 2014). Glavni razlozi zbog kojih potrošači u Srbiji i Hrvatskoj ne kupuju organsku hranu je visoka cena (Brčić-Stipčević & Petljak, 2011; Vlahović et al, 2011; Vehapi, 2015).…”