The character of demand in mature organic food markets: Great Britain and Denmark compared

We investigate the organic food market in two selected European countries, Great Britain and Denmark, identifying main differences and similarities. We focus particularly on consumer preferences and priorities, labelling schemes, supply and sales channels, as a basis for assessing market stability and prospects for future growth. We employ a unique set of household panel data that includes information on stated values and concerns, as well as registered purchasing behaviour. Most organic food on both markets is produced and processed by large-scale industrialised units and distributed through concentrated mainstream sales channels, consumer confidence being sustained at present by organic labelling schemes that appear to function well. However, a parallel market, based on various types of direct sales to heavy users, prevails. We find that organic food purchase decisions are primarily motivated by ‘private good’ attributes such as freshness, taste and health benefits, attributes that may be perceived as being compatible with modern production and sales structure. More traditional ‘public good’ organic attributes, such as environmental and animal welfare attributes, small scale production and local supply, are less compatible with current market structure, but are also accorded less priority by the majority of consumers in practice. Mature markets for organic foods nevertheless may constitute a source of consumer dissatisfaction, particularly in the group of organic heavy users

Perceptions, values and behaviour: The case of organic foods

This analysis of the Danish organic food market investigates the relationships between household purchasing behaviour and stated values, motives and concerns. Attention is also given to the importance of sales chan-nels and the functions of labelling. We identify the specific attributes that induce consumers to purchase or-ganic foods, distinguishing ‘private’ from ‘public’ valued attributes. Using household level information on stated values and concerns and data regarding real market purchases for approximately 2000 households dur-ing the period 1997-2001, the declared values and actual market behaviour of the same households are com-pared. We find that household propensity to purchase organic foods increases significantly with the declared importance accorded to ‘private good’ attributes, leading to the conclusion that these values determine the actual level of market participation. The weight that households assign to public good attributes does not contribute significantly to the explanation of household organic budget share. However, since almost all con-sumers who purchase organic foods do in fact acknowledge ‘public good’ attributes, these values may also constitute a prerequisite for purchasing organic products

New tendencies in the organic food market

We investigate the organic food market in two selected European countries, Great Britain and Denmark. Using unique household panel purchase data together with information on stated concern, values and attitudes, we find that the Danish and British markets share several important features. In both countries, most organic food is produced, processed and distributed at a concentrated and industrialised market, where consumer confidence is sustained by well-working organic labelling. We find that household propensity to purchase organic foods increases significantly with the household’s stated importance of private good attributes, thus making assigned private values determine the level of market participation. The weight assigned to public values is not significantly explaining household organic budget share. However, as almost all consumers purchasing organic foods are in fact acknowledging public good attributes, public values may represent a prerequisite for buying

Studies in Övdalian Morphology and Syntax: New Research on a Lesser-Known Scandinavian Language

Övdalian is spoken in central Sweden by about 2000 speakers. Traditionally categorized as a dialect of Swedish, it has not received much international attention. However, Övdalian is typologically closer to Faroese or Icelandic than it is to Swedish, and since it has been spoken in relative isolation for about 1000 years, a number of interesting linguistic archaisms have been preserved and innovations have developed. This volume provides seven papers about Övdalian morphology and syntax. The papers, all based on extensive fieldwork, cover topics such as verb movement, subject doubling, wh-words and case in Övdalian. Constituting the first comprehensive linguistic description of Övdalian in English, this volume is of interest for linguists in the fields of Scandinavian and Germanic linguistics, and also historical linguists will be thrilled by some of the presented data. The data and the analyses presented here furthermore challenge our view of the morphosyntax of the Scandinavian languages in some cases – as could be expected when a new language enters the linguistic arena