Consumer attitudes towards the quality and safety of organic and low input foods

A review of scientific literature and analysis of recent qualitative data provides new insights into the dynamics of the demand side of the organic market. Differences between existing, committed and ‘new’ consumers have implications for wider organic research, policy development and marketing strategy, particularly as actual behaviour and product loyalty diverge from the conventional representation of con-sumer characteristics

The positioning of organic products: which way forward?

The current positioning of organic products is based on a segmentation approach that recognises the organic market basically as a (enlarging) niche. Research conducted by the authors through various EU projects shows that the positioning of organic products cannot simply hinge on attributes/characteristics that differentiate organic products from their competitors, nor is a strategy based on benefit segmentation enough. A value/need based positioning of organic food products is proposed, based on a lateral marketing approach

The development and the impact of Organic Farming Policy in the European Regions (1998-2003)

This paper summarises the findings of WP 1.3 and WP 2 of the EU-CEEOFP project. Specifically, it presents the results of the analysis of the development and impact of Organic Farming Policy at the regional level in the EU-15

Potential implementation problems of the EU OAP: a failure mode and effects analysis

Since 2001, the EU Commission has followed principles of good governance (EC, 2001). One of the five principles of good governance is participation in the formulation of policies and their implementation. The aim of this paper is to provide a first evaluation of the EU Organic Action Plan (OAP) and the Organic action plan evaluation toolbox (ORGAPET) combining the knowledge of researchers from different countries (AND, CH, CZ, DE, DK, IT, NL, SI, UK) with external expertise (Advisory Committee, EU Commission)

The need for a long-term strategy for data collection on organic markets

In times when public expenditures are being decreased in nearly all European countries it is hard to argue that there is a need for additional sta-tistics about a small and so-called niche market. However, additional statistical information can also help to save public expenditures. Through an im-provement of statistical market data policy makers and market actors receive a better grounded basis for their decisions affecting organic markets so that mis-investments of public and private money can be avoided. Results of such misinvestments are e.g. reconversions of organic farms to conventional agriculture in many European countries. Nearly all of these farms have received governmental support for a conversion to organic agriculture beforehand. A long-term strategy to improve coordination and enhance current data availability and quality is envisaged

Consumer motivations in the purchase of organic food. A means-end approach

The paper presents partial results from an Italian study on consumer perception and knowledge of organic food and related behaviour. The means-end chain model was used to link attributes of products to the needs of consumers. In order to provide insights into consumer motivation in purchasing organic products, 60 respondents were interviewed using “hard” laddering approach to the measurement of means-end chains. The results (ladders) of these semi-qualitative interviews are coded, aggregated and presented in a set of hierarchical structured value maps. Consumer cognitive structures at different level of experience are reported and discussed. Even if organic products are perceived as difficult to find and expensive, most of consumers judge them positively. All consumers associate organic products to health at different levels of abstraction and want good, tasty and nourishing products, because pleasure and well-being are their most important values. Results show that differences exist between groups of consumer with respect to their frequency of use (experience) of organic products and level of information (expertise)

Collaborative relationships in the organic wheat supply chain: a case study on three EU Countries

The study was conducted as a part of a EU-wide survey on organic supply chains, carried on in 8 European Countries. In this paper we report the results of the study regarding the winter wheat supply chain in Italy, France and Hungary. In depth interviews with key-informants were carried on in 2006 to investigate the relationships within the supply chain. Results show a low level of collaboration among various actors especially on cost and benefits sharing

Understanding the Organic Consumer through Narratives: an International Comparison

Consumer narratives drawing on life history, events and influences are used to explain evolving consumer behaviour with regard to purchasing and consumption of organic products. Triangulated qualitative interviews, involving 54 principal participants in major and average sized cities in Denmark, the UK and Italy form the empirical basis of the study, combined with shopping trip observation and supplementary interviews. The research uses Gardner’s (2004) concept of ‘change of mind’ as a starting point for analysis. While cultural and geographical contexts vary across countries, a key finding is that consumer behaviour co-evolves with market development. The study concludes that potential future marketing strategies must distinguish carefully between strongly committed and occasional consumers of organic products