Considering results of consumer surveys the question arises that on the one hand the
health of children is a major motive for organic food consumption in households with
children and why on the other hand consumption intensity decreases as children get
older. The contribution presents results of a qualitative study investigating changes in
families’ organic food consumption and their reasons from the subjective perspective
of consumers. The findings are based on information gained by problem centred
interviews with family members responsible for food purchases; data analysis was
done by means of Grounded Theory. It was found that children can be reasons for an
increase of organic food consumption by indirectly influencing parents’ willingness to
purchase organic food in the time of pregnancy and the transition to a complementary
diet for babies. In contrast to that children also can directly affect a decrease of organic
food consumption in their families by actively rejecting particular organic food
products
