Buying Organic Food in France : Shopping Habits and Trust

In this paper we attempt to compare the responses of consumers and professionals to questions related to organic food retailing, in order to highlight the differences and the similarities of viewpoints between them and to understand the links between consumer perception of organic food and the sales channel. In order to do this, we analyse the results of three studies, two of them conducted with consumers, the third one with professionals. The first study deals with the links between consumer trust orientations and the frequentation of the different sales channels where organic food can be found. The results of this study conducted in France and Germany show that consumers in organic food stores put trust in their store but are neither the heaviest nor the most trusting consumers. Consumers in hypermarkets or supermarkets do not really trust the store, and only really trust the label. In the second study, respondents were asked what their preferred outlet for organic products would be and why. Results show that organic food consumers like being something more than an anonymous consumer when shopping. They seem to appreciate markets particularly, and appear to attach no particular value to organic food stores, nor to the acknowledged greater convenience of shopping in supermarkets. This study also raises interesting questions relating to the experience of purchasing in terms of shop image and atmosphere, and factors that contribute to consumer trust in organic foods. The third study is based upon two surveys (autumn 2003 and autumn 2004) among organic food stores in France, on market development and on actors’ perception of their situation and their customers. According to shopkeepers, customers of organic food stores are looking more for quality and competence, than for attractive prices, and attach more and more value to traceability and trustworthiness. This paper both shows important similarities and differences of viewpoints between consumers and organic food stores shopkeepers, and gives researchers and professionals a better insight into the links between consumer perception of organic food and the sales channel.Organic food, consumer behaviour, sales channel, trust

Buying Organic Food in France: Shopping Habits and Trust

In this paper we attempt to compare the responses of consumers and professionals to questions related to organic food retailing, in order to highlight the differences and the similarities of viewpoints between them and to understand the links between consumer perception of organic food and the sales channel. In order to do this, we analyse the results of three studies, two of them conducted with consumers, the third one with professionals. The first study deals with the links between consumer trust orientations and the frequentation of the different sales channels where organic food can be found. The results of this study conducted in France and Germany show that consumers in organic food stores put trust in their store but are neither the heaviest nor the most trusting consumers. Consumers in hypermarkets or supermarkets do not really trust the store, and only really trust the label. In the second study, respondents were asked what their preferred outlet for organic products would be and why. Results show that organic food consumers like being something more than an anonymous consumer when shopping. They seem to appreciate markets particularly, and appear to attach no particular value to organic food stores, nor to the acknowledged greater convenience of shopping in supermarkets. This study also raises interesting questions relating to the experience of purchasing in terms of shop location, image and atmosphere, and factors that contribute to consumer trust in organic foods. The third study is based upon two surveys (autumn 2003 and autumn 2004) among organic food stores in France, on market development and on actors' perception of their situation and their customers. According to shopkeepers, customers of organic food stores are looking more for quality and competence, than for attractive prices, and attach more and more value to traceability and trustworthiness. This paper shows important similarities of viewpoints between consumers and organic food stores shopkeepers, and gives researchers and professionals a better insight into the links between consumer perception of organic food and the sales channel.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Industrial Organization,

Consumers’ and Professionals’ Responses to Situations Raising Ethical Questions

In this study we have attempted, in collaboration with an agrifood company, to compare and contrast the responses of consumers and professionals to the same set of situations raising ethical questions, in order to highlight the differences and the similarities of viewpoint between these two groups of stakeholders. In order to do this, we constructed multi-stakeholder scenarios comprising a description of the situation and the various possible approaches to managing the situation. We constructed two scenarios, dealing with the origin of the gelatin used in the company’s products and the company’s product information on livestock feed (GMO, genetically modified organisms). This allowed us to: - study the extent of the professionals’ ethical perceptions and the possible compromises between ethical values and business interests in the decision-making process. - compare and contrast the ethical perceptions of consumers and professionals. In the first part we discuss the exploratory phase which enabled us to construct the scenarios. In the second part we compare the ethical value of the decisions suggested for each scenario according to consumers and professionals and the probability of adopting the various decisions according to professionals. The third part compares consumers’ and professionals’ responses on the matching of each decision to consumer expectations and on the decision which would appear to them to be ideal. If there is a convergence between consumers and professionals in relation to the ethical classification of the various decisions, we can note, however, that consumers’ expectations with regard to ethics are little understood by professionals. This study leads to a better understanding of the significance of considerations of an ethical nature in consumer perceptions and allows them to be compared and contrasted with the ethical judgments of professionals. It gives professionals a better insight into consumer expectations on sensitive issues and highlights certain differences between consumer expectations and managers’ suggestions.Food, ethics, consumer expectations, GMO

Consumers' and Professionals' Responses to Situations Raising Ethical Questions

In this study we have attempted, in collaboration with an agrifood company, to compare and contrast the responses of consumers and professionals to the same set of situations raising ethical questions, in order to highlight the differences and the similarities of viewpoint between these two groups of stakeholders. In order to do this, we constructed multi-stakeholder scenarios comprising a description of the situation and the various possible approaches to managing the situation. We constructed two scenarios, dealing with the origin of the gelatin used in the company's products and the company's product information on livestock feed (GMO). This allowed us to: - study the extent of the professionals' ethical perceptions and the possible compromises between ethical values and business interests in the decision-making process. - compare and contrast the ethical perceptions of consumers and professionals. In the first part we discuss the exploratory phase which enabled us to construct the scenarios. In the second part we compare the ethical value of the decisions suggested for each scenario according to consumers and professionals and the probability of adopting the various decisions according to professionals. The third part compares consumers' and professionals' responses on the matching of each decision to consumer expectations and on the decision which would appear to them to be ideal. If there is a convergence between consumers and professionals in relation to the ethical classification of the various decisions, we can note, however, that consumers' expectations with regard to ethics are little understood by professionals. This study leads to a better understanding of the significance of considerations of an ethical nature in consumer perceptions and allows them to be compared and contrasted with the ethical judgments of professionals. It gives professionals a better insight into consumer expectations on sensitive issues and highlights certain differences between consumer expectations and managers' suggestions.Food, ethics, consumer expectations, GMO, Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Organic food consumers’ trade-offs between local or imported, conventional or organic products: a qualitative study in Shanghai

This paper presents a qualitative study of the trade-offs made by organic food product consumers in the Chinese Metropolis of Shanghai. More precisely, this article deals with trade-offs that consumers make between three types of products: (1) locally produced organic food products, (2) products that are locally and conventionally produced and (3)imported organic food products. We used a qualitative methodology using open questions and projective techniques and based on 23 individual interviews. Local organic products are the products best perceived by the Chinese interviewees, who think that organic food is beneficial to health and makes agriculture more environmentally friendly. The fact that food is produced locally is another positive argument for many interviewees who do not perceive any important differences between local and imported, more expensive, organic food products. Local and conventionally produced food products give rise to worries related to health and consumers buy them only because they are much cheaper than organic products. The reasons for choosing organic products are mostly related to health issues. Altruistic motives such as environmental concerns, food miles concerns or support for small producers are only emerging. This study mostly highlighted consumers’ trade-offs between different individual benefits, mainly health vs. economic benefits. However, some trade-offs between altruistic (environmental concerns) and individual (economic) benefits are apparent, confirming emerging altruistic motives behind organic food consumption

Consumers motivations for buying local and organic products in developing vs developed countries

Despite numerous studies reporting on organic consumer profiles, there is a gap in thorough understanding of consumers motivations for buying local and organic products. More precisely, do consumers prefer local products because they want to support local producers or do environment and the question of food miles matter in their choice ? Besides, very little is known about organic consumers in developing countries, since most surveys are conducted in most developed countries. Our purpose is to fill this double gap, by conducing qualitative surveys based on individual interviews in four developing countries (Brazil, Egypt, Uganda and China) and two European countries, France and Denmark, in order to study consumers choice for organic products from supermarkets, farmers markets or local organic food network. Products were selected to cover examples of imported organic products that compete with comparable products of local origin. First results from Brazil and France show that French consumers are more concerned by environment than Brazilian consumers, but that most consumers in both samples are not concerned by food miles and their subsequent environmental impacts. Results also shed light on different patterns related to commitment to supporting small or local farmers, and suggest implications for policy makers

Öko-Lebensmittel in Bayern und in Languedoc-Roussillon: Ergebnisse vergleichender Konsumentenforschung [Organic food in Bavaria and in Languedoc Roussillon: results of comparative consumer research][Denrées alimentaires écologiques en provenance de la Bavière et du Languedoc-Roussillon: Résultats d’une étude comparative sur les consommateurs]

Der Beitrag stellt die Ergebnisse einer interkulturellen Vergleichsstudie vor, die im Frühjahr 1999 im Bundesland Bayern und in der südfranzösischen Region Languedoc-Roussillon durchgeführt wurde. Die durch computergestützte Telefoninterviews auf Ebene privater Haushalte gewonnenen Daten legen einige Unterschiede im Konsumentenverhalten und in den Einstellungen in Bezug auf Öko-Lebensmittel und Lebensmittel regionaler Herkunft offen. So ist beispielsweise der Konsum von Öko-Lebensmitteln in Bayern wesentlich bedeutender, obwohl das Image des Öko-Landbaus und seiner Produkte hier schlechter ist als in der südfranzösischen Vergleichsregion. Bei der Entwicklung und Umsetzung von Vermarktungs- und Marketingkonzepten sollten diese Unterschiede berücksichtigt werden

Social and Environmental Attributes of Food Products in an Emerging Mass Market : Challenges of Signaling and Consumer Perception, With European Illustrations

This paper focuses on the environmental and ethical attributes of food products and their production processes. These two aspects have been recently recognized and are becoming increasingly important, in terms of signaling and of consumer perception. There are two thematic domains: environmental and social. Within each domain there are two movements. Hence the paper first presents the four movements that have brought to the fore new aspects of food product quality, to wit: (1) aspects of environmental ethics (organic agriculture and integrated agriculture) and (2)social ethics (fair trade and ethical trade). Then it describes how the actors in the movements producers, retailers, NGOs, and governments) are organized and how consumers perceive each of the movements. From the perspective of the actors in the movements themselves, the movements are grouped into two 'actors' philosophies' : a “radical” philosophy (the organic production and fair trade movements that arose in radical opposition to conventional agriculture or unfair trade relations) and a “reformist” philosophy (the integrated agriculture and ethical trade movements that arose as efforts to modify but not radically change conventional agriculture). From the point of view of consumers, the classification of the movements is based on perceptions of the 'domain' of the movements. That is, consumers tend to perceive as a grouping the organic production movement and the integrated agricultural movement, as they both deal with the environment. By contrast, consumers tend to group the fair trade movement and the ethical trade movement, as they both deal essentially with social ethics. Recently, key players such as large retailers and agribusinesses have adopted as part of their overall quality assurance programs both the environmental and the ethical attributes. Their involvement in and adoption of the goals of the movements have, however, generated tensions and conflicts, in particular within the radical movements, because of concerns of cooptation. The paper identifies challenges for those promoting food products with environmental and social/ethical attributes to communicate coherent signals to consumers at this crucial moment of an emerging mass market for these products.Consumer perception, Ethical trade, Fair trade, Integrated agriculture, Organic agriculture, Organization, Quality signals

CONSUMER COPING STRATEGIES OF EATING LOCAL

N° ISBN - 978-2-7380-1284-5International audienceThis paper reports the results of an exploratory investigation of the coping strategies of a small group of local food consumer “activists” –those committed to, and those who promote “eating locally” in Michigan. Following a brief review of discussions surrounding different definitions of local food and the concept of coping strategy, this paper presents the methods for collecting preliminary information about local food coping strategies in Michigan and then discusses the coping strategies of these activists. The consumers we interviewed mostly adopt problem-centered strategies: they change their food-consumption habits including shopping, purchasing, cooking, storing and obviously, eating. None of these changes are easy to implement, and most require re-allocations of time as well as trade-offs to overcome time and cost barriers. In return, most of these consumers feel empowered

Les petits producteurs sont-ils des acteurs obligés du commerce équitable pour les consommateurs ?

De récentes études ont montré que les motivations à acheter des produits issus du commerce équitable pouvaient être hétérogènes. Les consommateurs achèteraient des produits équitables non seulement pour des motivations altruistes, telles que le soutien des petits producteurs du Sud ou la participation à un mouvement global de changement des règles du commerce international, mais aussi pour des motivations plus égocentrées comme le goût des produits, l'attirance pour un produit exotique, ethnique. Cette hétérogénéité des motivations des consommateurs pose la question du lien entre ces motivations et les mentions sur les produits. Plus précisément nous nous intéresserons ici aux liens entre les motivations du consommateur et les deux mentions " commerce équitable " (CE) et " petits producteurs " (PP). Une revue de littérature suivie d'une étude exploratoire qualitative puis quantitative sur 228 individus nous permettent de montrer que la perception que certains consommateurs ont de ces produits est moins en cohérence avec les principes fondamentaux du commerce équitable qu'avec la mention " petits producteurs " qui connote le soutien des plus pauvres mais aussi la recherche d'un produit fait avec soin, de meilleure qualité gustative voire même plus authentique. (Résumé d'auteur