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As the global population approaches 10 billion by 2050, addressing sustainable food production is imperative for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and Agenda 2063's Aspiration 1 for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa. This qualitative study explored South African consumers' perceptions of organic food using an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model. Emphasising health perspectives, it investigates implications for SDGs and Agenda 2063. Employing non‐probability snowball sampling, 25 semi‐structured interviews reached data saturation. Thematic analysis revealed that while health and environmental benefits of organic food are recognised, many consumers do not perceive organic food as inherently healthier. The study underscores the need for improved communication and consumer education to align perceptions with sustainability goals and foster a prosperous future and achievement of Agenda 2063. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) on consumer purchasing intentions for organic food products. As consumers increasingly turn to online reviews, social media discussions, and peer recommendations for information, e-WOM has become a critical factor in shaping perceptions and decisions regarding organic products. The paper analyzes various e-WOM forms, including online reviews, social media endorsements, and influencer-driven content, to assess their role in consumer behavior towards organic food. Key findings suggest that e-WOM affects consumer attitudes and trust, ultimately influencing their purchase intentions. Positive e-WOM enhances the perceived quality and credibility of organic products, while negative feedback can deter potential buyers, highlighting the power of social proof in organic food marketing. Additionally, factors like message credibility, source trustworthiness, and the emotional appeal of e-WOM significantly impact consumer responses. This study also examines the moderating effects of demographic variables, such as age, education level, and income, which alter how different consumer groups respond to e-WOM in the organic food context. The findings underscore the importance of e-WOM as a marketing tool and suggest that organic food brands should focus on managing their online reputation to maximize positive consumer engagement. By understanding the dynamics of e-WOM, businesses can better design strategies to promote organic products and build stronger, trust-based relationships with consumers, ultimately fostering a higher adoption of organic food in mainstream consumer markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer behaviour with regard to food consumption is changing globally, and consumers now prefer food that is produced without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides, or chemicals; in other words, they prefer to eat organic food, which is not only sustainable for their health but also environmentally friendly. Due to farmers' poorer production of organic produce and therefore the higher market price of organic food, customers do not favour organic items as much. People need to be made aware of the benefits of organic food items and encouraged to utilise them, but the main focus should be on encouraging farmers to choose organic farming. An investigation of customer perceptions of organic food might be helpful for the growing organic food market in India and elsewhere. Numerous insights for the study have been gained through the analysis of related literature in the market for organic foods and customer perception in that area. It has also given guidance for developing the current study. Researchers have seen the demand for organic food items both internationally and in India. Additionally, a number of variables that affect how consumers see organic food items have been found. Studies on preferences, knowledge, and contentment with organic food items have also been conducted. After reviewing a number of research and determining the gap, the investigator decided it was imperative to carry out the current inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to uncover consumers' willingness to pay more (WTPM) and their choice behavior (CB) for organic food products using the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) while also examining how skepticism toward organic labeling impacts the relationship between WTPM and CB. This study includes 374 survey responses collected using purposive sampling. The statistical software package IBM SPSS 28 was utilized for factor analysis and reliability, while CFA, validity, and structural assessments were carried out using AMOS 28 software. Process Macro 4.1 was employed to study the interaction of skepticism. This study reveals that consumers favor organic foods due to various values: price, social, emotional, epistemic, and conditional. Despite this, only price value directly affects the willingness to pay more. Once committed, consumers are willing to pay more, yet skepticism can hinder this commitment. Marketers should highlight the health, eco-friendliness, and value benefits of organic food products through advertisements and infomercials linking organics to daily life. Emotional appeals can stress the harms of non-organic foods, though skepticism must be managed delicately by gaining consumers' trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To contribute to the research gap about the role of adolescents in household purchasing decisions, a survey (n=565) was conducted in Lower Austria in 2018 to investigate rural high school students self - reported shopping frequency for organic food products. The Theory of Planned Behavior, extended with socio-demographic characteristics, cultural preferences and attitudinal variables is used as a theoretical framework. Key findings include the influence of attitude toward organic food products and subjective norm, particularly primary socialization, on self-reported shopping frequency. Socio-demographic characteristics and cultural preferences determine attitudes and have an impact on self-reported shopping frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents a comprehensive analysis of the organic profile of food products in the Bengaluru city. Based on the data from 40 organic outlets, it was observed that the majority of retailers belongs to the middle age group (30-50 years), constituting 60.00 per cent of the total sample size. The market was dominated by male retailers, accounting for 77.50 per cent followed by female retailers (22.50%). Most of the retailers had a graduation degree (75.00%), followed by post-graduation (22.50%). About 62.50 per cent of the sample stores were exclusively selling organic certified products, while 80.00 per cent of stores sold natural products, 7.50 per cent of stores had privately labelled/ self-claimed products and 30.00 per cent of stores had both organic certified and other products. The study investigated the year of establishment of the organic outlets, revealing a gradual increase in store openings between 2017 and 2021. Oils, fruits and vegetables, emerged as the major demanded organic food products accounting for about 97.50 and 80.00 per cent of the shelf space, respectively. To promote organic food products, word of mouth was found to be the most effective strategy. Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) value of 0.24 revealed moderate market concentrations of organic outlets in Bengaluru city, which indicated significant presence of a few firms, but the market was not overly dominated by a single entity. According to the study findings organic food market in Bengaluru is witnessing steady growth, with a diverse range of products. The moderate concentration observed in the market indicates the presence of healthy competition among firms, fostering a favourable environment for both consumers and suppliers. It can serve valuable insights for organic food retailers, marketers and policy makers to understand the market competitiveness, demand patterns and effective promotional strategies in this promising market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent pandemic, as well as sustainability issues have led to changing trends when it comes food purchasing and consumption. Thus, more and more consumers tend to pay more attention to how the food is produced, processed, handled and marketed. Over the past few years, the organic food market has experienced a notable surge in popularity. This study seeks to examine the factors and obstacles shaping the consumption of organic products. Additionally, it aims to explore the socio-demographic traits of consumers in this category and identify the primary types of preferred organic products. The study's convenience sample of 214 customers from Romania's Bihor County served as the basis for data collection, which was done online. The results of our study show that the confidence that a product is organic ranked first among all factors on the consumer's list, followed by a price similar to normal food products and certification by a control body. Organic vegetables, fruits, and eggs were among the most preferred products by the consumers, while processed and canned goods ranked lower on the preferences list for the respondents. Concerning obstacles to organic food consumption, the main concern is related to the additional cost that consumers have to cover relative to other food items. Additionally, half of the respondents who abstain from organic product consumption expressed a lack of belief in organic certification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic products are less hazardous to consumer and environmental health because they contain fewer additives and fertilizers. However, some organic producers do not adhere to the organic production standards and deceive customers in an effort to increase their economic gain. Blockchain technology as a decentralized ledger can convince customers to get the benefits of organic production by making production more transparent. Using a game-theory-based model, the purpose of this paper is to examine and compare conventional and organic production in terms of economic, social, and environmental factors. A numerical example from the dairy industry is utilized to solve the model. The results indicate that organic production is more environmentally and economically sustainable than conventional production. In addition, the use of blockchain technology is not socially acceptable, but it has contributed to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This technology increases the profitability of organic production while decreasing the profitability of conventional production. • A model is presented for the competition between conventional and organic products. • All dimensions of the sustainability are investigated in the food supply chain. • Organic production reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases profitability. • Block chain technology increases the profitability of organic production. • Blockchain technology reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper starts from the assumption that a greater level of sustainability in national food systems can be achieved with the contribution of the consumer. Nowadays, the consumer can condition the choices of the production system, with a greater demand for reassurance on the quality, safety, and traceability of food products. To confirm this hypothesis, this study intends to verify sensitivity to sustainability, purchase behavior, and type of sustainable products in consumer samples of two territorial contexts, the United Arab Emirates and Sicily. The analysis of the results shows the interest of the UAE consumers for organic products and Sicily consumers for local products from a short and zero-kilometer supply chain which is the expression of traditions and opportunities for socio-economic development in the region. The picture is enriched with some food for thought on aspects closely linked to agri-food sustainability.

Researches show that many diseases have a nutritional origin and naturally produced foods are more beneficial to health. For this reason, attention to organic food products is on the rise. Since many businesses are engaged in organic food products, the main objective of this research is to provide a framework for successful performance of SMEs in organic food products. The present research is qualitative, applied and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population consists of experts in the field of small and medium enterprises in the field of organic food products. The statistical sample of this research was selected by non-probabilistic and purposeful method and based on the theoretical saturation rule, 13 people were interviewed. Thematic analysis method has been used to analyze the data. Based on the results, the factors affecting the successful entry and empowerment of SMEs in the field of organic food products include internal capabilities, customer motivating factors, facilitating factors and interactive capabilities. Finally, it is recommended that organic food businesses with regard to the characteristics of this industry and its market, increase their ability in three other dimensions of the research model include improving the company's internal capabilities in the field of physical resources and human skills, increasing customer trust in organic products and increasing the company's interactions with the environment, especially through institutional networking.

The paper starts from the assumption that a greater level of sustainability in national food systems can be achieved with the contribution of the consumer. Nowadays, the consumer can condition the choices of the production system, with a greater demand for reassurance on the quality, safety, and traceability of food products. To confirm this hypothesis, this study intends to verify sensitivity to sustainability, purchase behavior, and type of sustainable products in consumer samples of two territorial contexts, the United Arab Emirates and Sicily. The analysis of the results shows the interest of the UAE consumers for organic products and Sicily consumers for local products from a short and zero-kilometer supply chain which is the expression of traditions and opportunities for socio-economic development in the region. The picture is enriched with some food for thought on aspects closely linked to agri-food sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romanian consumers started buying and consuming more organic food products. Their decision-making process is influenced by a variety of aspects and by their consumer profile. Companies need to adapt their marketing mix strategies based on this information. The current research aimed to identify correlations between the marketing mix elements and buying intention and get some insight into how Romanian organic product consumers are influenced by promotional instruments. A quantitative research was developed, supported by a structured questionnaire. Following a factor analysis of the promotion items, two dimensions emerged that were named by the authors “personalized promotion” and “classic advertising”. The marketing mix elements that were found to have the highest correlation with buying intention are perception of cost-benefit ratio (price) and personalized promotion techniques (promotion). Younger respondents (

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of organic farming, as people have started to rethink their eating habits. Consumers perceive organic products as conducive to good health and associate them with a healthy lifestyle. The paper aims to study consumers’ perceptions of organic food products in Croatia. For the purpose of this research, a survey was conducted among visitors to the organic food fair in Pula and members of Solidarity Ecological Groups (SEGs) in Croatia (Pula, Rovinj, and Osijek). A total of 232 questionnaires were completed and returned. The collected data were analysed with SPSS (22) software, and the results were presented using descriptive statistics, t-test, One-way ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results indicate that the typical organic food buyers are university-educated women aged 25 to 44 years. The most frequently bought products include fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, cereal and cereal products, milk and dairy products and olive oil. Consumers have confidence in the certification of organic production and eco-labels. Moreover, the PCA results show that the most important factors that influence organic consumer purchase behaviour are confidence and quality. The results of this study add to the understanding of consumers’ preferences with regard to organic food products and could be a useful aid in devising marketing strategies for such products.

Enlightened dealers have changed their business gears towards organic food products. But a huge challenge before them is making the consumers to buy it. These dealers unlike huge retail outlets and organic food companies they are finding it a bit difficult to market the organic products to the Vellore consumers who are bit price conscious and they fail in the convincing the consumers and gaining their trust. Most of the consumers nowadays have become health conscious but apart from it price, certification, reliability, accessibility and ready availability are the hardships which they face in the current situation. The dealers of organic food products fail miserably in these areas and they try their level best by marketing the organic food products nutritional value which in most of the cases doesn't work. Unlike other inorganic products the organic products production cost and meeting the consumers demand at the right time is huge head for most of the dealers. They need to brainstorm and devise plan to create awareness in such away the consumers accept their products and integrate these products in their daily routine and fuel the organic food products market which build a healthy society and benefit mutually in all aspects. In future one day on the other the people may boycott all the food products which can create hazards and breed diseases and bank upon the healthy organic food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to design and explain the marketing mix model in the development of the organic food market. The research method was basic-applied in terms of purpose, cross-sectional data collection time, and data type mixed with exploratory approach. The statistical population of the qualitative section included experts, professors and elites of the scientific community and university experts in the field of marketing, as well as experts in the field of organic production. Using saturation principle and snowball sampling method, 12 people were selected as the sample size. The quantitative part included all consumers of organic products in the city of Mashhad in an unlimited number that using Cochran's formula and simple random sampling method, 384 people were selected as the sample size. In order to collect data, semi-structured interviews were used in the qualitative part and a researcher-made questionnaire was used in the quantitative part. Data analysis in the qualitative part using content analysis method was Max Kiuda software and in the quantitative part descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. The research hypotheses were tested using SPSS as well as PLS and the software results were used in the form of structural equation modeling. Findings showed that the results showed that based on the view of the research participants, a marketing mix with 7 components including product content features, product side features, price, distribution, promotion, brand and customization was obtained to develop the organic food market. . Finally, according to the research results, managers or producers of organic food products can use mixed marketing tools to develop the market for these products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information reflecting current consideration of strategy of food production from position of of economic sustainability, ensuring population health through compliance of principles of food safety, accessibility and quality improvement. The organic food industry with systems of production, processing, distribution and retailing develops since the 1940s and has huge impact on strategies of food consumption by population, especially in high-income countries. The priorities, goals and objectives of development of organic production in the Russian Federation are targeted to ensure favorable state of environment and preservation of human health.

When someone decides to buy organic food products trust plays a role. Consumers, in fact, are neither supposed to have the appropriate knowledge to evaluate the characteristics of these products, nor can they control that the food was actually manufactured following the procedures prescribed by organic production. Therefore, trust may contribute to the explanation of both purchasing intention and behavior since it represents a heuristic or shortcut that people adopt in order to reduce the large amount of information that consumers need to take into account. The present research aimed to analyze the role of trust in organic products on buying behavior adopting the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as theoretical framework. A relational model was tested in which this variable was supposed to act as a background factor associated with all the classical constructs foreseen by the theory and the buying behavior. Also, indirect effects of trust on both intention and behavior were assessed. Two studies were conducted targeting the purchase of organic food products in general (Study 1) and of fresh organic fruit and vegetables (Study 2). In both studies, the data collection was organized in two waves, with a time lag of 1 month. At Time 1, the questionnaires included measures of intention, its antecedents and trust, while at Time 2 self-reported buying behavior was collected. Data were supplied by two convenience samples of Italian adults (237 and 227 participants) and analyzed via structural equation modeling. Results turned out to be overlapping in both studies, since trust was positively associated with attitude and subjective norm, and it was indirectly associated with intention and behavior, thanks to the mediation of the TPB constructs. The outcomes highlighted the importance of people’s trust in organic products as a meaningful antecedent that boosts the TPB-based psychosocial processes that are supposed to stand behind both purchasing intentions and behaviors.

The purpose of the paper is to determine the differences between demographic characteristics of consumers in relation to discouraging and motivating factors of consuming organic food products in Serbia. An empirical research was conducted in Serbia on a sample of 833 respondents, using e-questionnaire. T-test for independent samples was used. The results indicate that in relation to discouraging factors for consumption of organic food products there are differences in the demographic characteristics of consumers, exception is age. Also, in relation to motivation factors, differences exist in majority of consumers' demographic characteristics, except the level of education and place of residence. Practical application of the results enables adequately managed consumption of organic food products which directly affects the reduction of ecological, social, health and economic problems. On the other side, the theoretical application of the results enables the creation of a consumers' profile for organic food products.

When someone decides to buy organic food products trust plays a role. Consumers, in fact, are neither supposed to have the appropriate knowledge to evaluate the characteristics of these products, nor can they control that the food was actually manufactured following the procedures prescribed by organic production. Therefore, trust may contribute to the explanation of both purchasing intention and behavior since it represents a heuristic or shortcut that people adopt in order to reduce the large amount of information that consumers need to take into account. The present research aimed to analyze the role of trust in organic products on buying behavior adopting the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as theoretical framework. A relational model was tested in which this variable was supposed to act as a background factor associated with all the classical constructs foreseen by the theory and the buying behavior. Also, indirect effects of trust on both intention and behavior were assessed. Two studies were conducted targeting the purchase of organic food products in general (Study 1) and of fresh organic fruit and vegetables (Study 2). In both studies, the data collection was organized in two waves, with a time lag of 1 month. At Time 1, the questionnaires included measures of intention, its antecedents and trust, while at Time 2 self-reported buying behavior was collected. Data were supplied by two convenience samples of Italian adults (237 and 227 participants) and analyzed via structural equation modeling. Results turned out to be overlapping in both studies, since trust was positively associated with attitude and subjective norm, and it was indirectly associated with intention and behavior, thanks to the mediation of the TPB constructs. The outcomes highlighted the importance of people's trust in organic products as a meaningful antecedent that boosts the TPB-based psychosocial processes that are supposed to stand behind both purchasing intentions and behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In today’s scenario, online shopping is playing an important role in the life of human because time is precious for every people. People have become very busy in their work and they are unable to make their shopping daily. In this article we are going to discuss regarding the preference of organic food products through online shopping (Basha, 2014)1. Awareness of organic products has been increasing steadily and Consumers are started to prefer organic food products because they are healthy, safety and environmental friendly (Brijesh Sivathanu, 2015)2. Consumer of organic food products are willing to purchase organic products through online shopping due to the time and travel constraints (Ramesh, 2015)10. In this paper the researcher has collected the sample size of 80 and tools used for the analysis are percentage analysis, chi- square analysis and Anova. The result of the study is found that the consumers are purchasing the organic food products through online shopping, especially for the health purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Organic Farming is carried out in 178 countries across the world at present. More than 90% of sales took place in North America and Europe. USA, Germany and France hold the highest share and Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg are the top three countries where the consumption per capita is the highest pertaining to organic foods as per the report given by the IFOAM. On the other hand, Asia Pacific market is growing rapidly at 29% and Projected as the fastest growing market. According to IFBL report, India has the largest number of organic food producers in the world. Increased health consciousness among people, food safety, environmental protection, and increase in the usage of organic and natural products are some of the key reasons for the expansion of this organic food markets. Organic food products are focused in developed countries because, the purchasing power of consumers are very high. Consumer satisfaction is a key indicator used to measure the customer loyalty and retention. So the researcher focused on the Consumers’ Satisfaction towards Select Organic Food Products in Salem District of Tamil Nadu. The population size of the study was 100 respondents from Salem district by using convenience sampling technique. The percentage analysis and chi-square analysis were applied for testing the data. Finally the researcher providing suitable suggestions and conclusion based on their results and findings from study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romanian consumers started buying and consuming more organic food products. Their decision-making process is influenced by a variety of aspects and by their consumer profile. Companies need to adapt their marketing mix strategies based on this information. The current research aimed to identify correlations between the marketing mix elements and buying intention and get some insight into how Romanian organic product consumers are influenced by promotional instruments. A quantitative research was developed, supported by a structured questionnaire. Following a factor analysis of the promotion items, two dimensions emerged that were named by the authors "personalized promotion" and "classic advertising". The marketing mix elements that were found to have the highest correlation with buying intention are perception of cost-benefit ratio (price) and personalized promotion techniques (promotion). Younger respondents (<24-year-olds) agree significantly more with personalized promotion techniques that people with ages between 24 and 38 years of age. Women also tend to have higher personalized promotion scores than men. No significant difference in the promotion scores was found between respondents in the case of income, education level and number of children in the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted with a sample of 4 shops selected purposively from Udaipur city. Data were collected with the help of structured and duly pre-tested interview schedule. The objective of the study was to explore different categories and varieties of organic food products available in market of Udaipur city. The result shows that the different categories and varieties of organic food product were Cereals (Grain, Flour and Other Products) 27 varieties, Pulses and legumes (Whole, Split (Dal), and Flour) 13 varieties, Roots and Tubers 8 varieties, Leafy vegetables 3 varieties, Other vegetables 12 varieties, Fruits 10 varieties, Nuts and oil seeds 1 variety, Spices and condiments 12 varieties, Processed items 5 varieties, Fats and edible oil 4 varieties, Sugar and jaggery 4 varieties and Beverages 3 varieties were available in market of Udaipur city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Qualitative investigation of how consumers of organic food products define health. • Three overall concepts of health were found in existing research literature. • Health is an important motivation for buying organic food products. • Consumers relate the healthiness of organic food to purity. • Healthiness in general is, by contrast, primarily understood as nutritional value. Abstract There is increasing demand for organic food products throughout the Western world. Health concerns have frequently been found to be the main motivation of consumers purchasing organic products, but the literature on consumer preferences and behavior is less clear about what ‘health’ means to consumers of these products, and because of this it remains unclear what exactly drives consumers to choose organic products. This article investigates health from the perspective of consumers, and analyzes negotiations of, and justifications behind, their consumption preferences. The analysis is based on a focus group study conducted in Denmark in 2016. Three different understandings of health can be found when consumers explain their preferences for organic products: Health as purity; Health as pleasure, and a Holistic perspective on health. The first two are familiar from the literature on food. The third, which reflects principles behind organic agriculture, is less documented in the context of consumption. Health as purity was the dominant understanding of health used by the participants when explaining why they purchased organic food products. When participants discussed healthy eating in general, detached from a specific context, most employed a purely nutritional perspective as a definitive argument in supporting claims about healthy eating. The paper’s findings have implications for future research on organic consumption. They also have practical implications for organic food producers and manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dialkyl phosphates were assessed before and after an organic dietary intervention. • A screening of 204 pesticides was carried out to confirm the absence of pesticides. • Detectable levels of 20 pesticides were found in organic food products. • DMP, DMTP and DEP were significantly lower in urine after 6 days of organic diet. Pesticides are a group of organic compounds used to control weeds or insect infestations in agriculture. Diet is the major route of human exposure to these compounds, which can cause serious health problems, even when the intake occurs at low concentrations. Hence, the consumption of organic food is an appropriate strategy to minimize the exposure to pesticides. A prospective, randomized study was conducted to assess the impact of an organic dietary intervention on the levels of urinary dialkyl phosphates (DAP). A screening of 204 pesticides was also carried out in order to confirm the absence of these compounds in organic food. The analytical results showed that only 20 of the 204 pesticides (9.8 %) had concentrations above the limit of quantification in one or more samples of the organic food consumed by the participants. It is substantially lower than the levels of pesticides found in other studies analysing conventional food, confirming the diet as suitable for the organic dietary intervention. A general reduction of most DAP metabolites in urine was found, being significant (p < 0.05) the decrease of dimethyl phosphate (DMP) (0.49 µg/g creatinine in Day 1 vs. 0.062 µg/g creatinine in Day 6), dimethyl thiophosphate (DMTP) (0.49 µg/g creatinine in Day 1 vs. 0.093 µg/g creatinine in Day 6) and diethyl phosphate (DEP) (0.28 µg/g creatinine in Day 1 vs. 0.12 µg/g creatinine in Day 6). In addition, the molar score for the total dimethyl DAP (ΣMP) and total dialkyl phosphate (ΣDAP) also showed significant differences after changing a conventional diet by an organic diet, being reduced from 0.008 µmol/g to 0.002 µmol/g for ΣMP and from 0.012 µmol/g to 0.003 µmol/g for ΣDAP. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates both the impact of an organic diet in the exposure to DAP and the levels of 204 pesticides in the organic food provided to the participants. In summary, the consumption of organic products decreases the dietary intake of pesticides, thus reducing also the potential adverse effects on human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to determine the differences between demographic characteristics of consumers in relation to discouraging and motivating factors of consuming organic food products in Serbia. An empirical research was conducted in Serbia on a sample of 833 respondents, using e-questionnaire. T-test for independent samples was used. The results indicate that in relation to discouraging factors for consumption of organic food products there are differences in the demographic characteristics of consumers, exception is age. Also, in relation to motivation factors, differences exist in majority of consumers demographic characteristics, except the level of education and place of residence. Practical application of the results enables adequately managed consumption of organic food products which directly affects the reduction of ecological, social, health and economic problems. On the other side, the theoretical application of the results enables the creation of a consumers profile for organic food products.

The development of the organic foods market in a worldwide scale is at its 3.0 phase, according to IFOAM (IFOAM, 2016). As opposed of the previous phase 2.0, which was based on the price premiums of the organic foods, this phase is inspired by the concept of the true value and pricing based on the real costs in the sector. The aim of the present paper is to observe the price trend of some organic foods on the Bulgarian market with the purpose to analyze which phase it is on and to predict its future development. On the base of previous empirical studies, the actual prices of chosen categories of organic foods are compared for a two-year period. The dynamics of their price premium is investigated, in comparison with the price level of the conventional analogues. As a result of the data aggregation three effects were established: two net - the price premium for 2018 (120%), the change in the price premium in comparison to 2016 decrease (10%) and one combined effect of the movement of prices of conventional analogues (4%). Practical applications Considered as a strategic business sphere, the sector of production of processed organic food is characterized by certain features - trends, favorable opportunities and threats. Determining the dynamics of the pricing premium gives us knowledge about the maturity of the market, as well as about the available barriers and level of competition. We establish the volatility of consumer prices of processed organic and conventional products in the period august 2016 - august 2018 in retail outlets, through the dynamics in the price premium. The approach used to calculate the pricing premium gives us reason to assert that not only the variable (Po) i. e. prices of organic products has a decisive role in defining the boundaries of the sector, respectively its market potential, but also variable (Pc), reflecting the prices of their conventional analogues, because of the price cut between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic foods are perceived as more nutritious, healthy, and nature-friendly than conventional food. Consumers, therefore, are switching over to organic food products and are willing to pay a premium price. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing the consumers' actual buying behaviour towards organic foods. For this purpose, a survey data were collected from 611 Indian consumers through a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using various techniques like factor analysis, independent t -test, ANOVA multiple linear regression, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results have confirmed four factors (health consciousness, knowledge, subjective norms, and price) that influence the consumer attitude towards organic food products. However, purchase intention towards organic foods is affected by these four factors along with one additional factor (i.e., availability). The results show that these five factors also influence the actual buying behaviour but attitude and purchase intention mediates the relationship. Further, socio-demographic factors (age, education and income) also found to have an impact on actual buying behaviour. This study provides a better understanding of consumers' attitude, purchase intention and actual buying behaviour towards organic food products. The findings have implications for companies of the organic food industry, retailers and market regulatory agencies. The study also provides guidelines and suggestions for retailers and marketers who are dealing with the organic foods and aim at expanding the organic food market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic food consumption has increased during the last years as a consequence of its direct impact on consumer health, life style, and social convenience as well as on the environment and sustainable development. Compared to the European level, the consumption of organic food products is quite low in Romania. This paper investigates the perception and attitudes of the organic food consumers from the North-West Development Region of Romania. Consumers’ perception towards organic food products was measured using 30 items. The data were collected from 568 respondents and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A factor-cluster approach was used to identify consumer groups. The findings indicated that health concerns, sensory appeal, sustainable consumption and weight concerns are the main reasons for consuming organic food products. Three main groups of organic food consumers were identified: “gourmand”, “environmentally concerned” and “health concerned”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the organic and non-organic production choices of two firms by considering customers' trust in organic food products. In the context of customers' possible willingness to pay a premium price and their mistrust in organic food products, two firms first make choices on offering organic and non-organic food products. If offering organic products, a firm can further invest in the credence system to increase customers' trust in their organic products. At the final stage, two firms determine prices. We provide serval insights. First, we characterize the market conditions in which only one firm, both firms or neither firm will choose to offer organic food products. We find that the higher the production costs or credence investment costs for organic food products are, the more likely firms are to choose to produce non-organic food products. Second, if it is expensive enough to invest in organic credence, offering organic food products may still be uncompetitive, even if organic production cost appears to have no disadvantage compared to non-organic food products. Third, we highlight how the prices of organic food products in equilibrium are affected by market parameters. We show that when only one firm offers organic food products, this firm tends to offer a relatively low price if organic credence investment is expensive. Fourth, we highlight how one firm's credence investment decision in equilibrium can be affected by the product type choice of the other firm. We find that the investment in organic credence is lower when both firms offer organic food products compared with the case when only one firm offers organic food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable consumption is an urgent issue regarding the rising global environmental pressures. Consequently, sustainable consumption is an important matter for more and more consumers in Germany. But the perception that sustainable consumer goods incur additional costs is a widely mentioned barrier. We have developed a statistical method based on the Laspeyres price index and the product descriptions of the Purchasing Power Parities (PPP) in order to examine the additional costs of organic food products compared to conventional food products. These costs depend on the households' expenditure structure, so called weighting scheme. Based on Engel´s law, we predict a negative correlation between net equivalent income and the additional costs for organic food products. We verify and quantify this relationship by using income-related weighting schemes. The results show that organic food products are about 80 % more expensive than conventional food products. Furthermore, we find that households cannot afford to purchase solely organic food products without getting into debt when their net equivalent income is below median. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, the interest in organic agriculture has grown both within the scientific community and among general public. Organic agriculture is a new agricultural production system that tries to fully utilize farming potential and to satisfy all the social and economic needs while preserving the natural ecosystem and ensuring environmental protection. This paper gives a short overview of organic agriculture and organic food market development as well as an overview of the distribution channels for organic food in specific countries. The second part of the paper describes the research of the organic food category that was conducted on a sample of leading food retailers in the Republic of Croatia. Based on the methodology applied, it is determined that organic food is sold in Croatian supermarkets and hypermarkets. However, leading food retailers keep mostly imported organic food products. The results of the research imply that both the organic food sales volume and sales income grew in 2008 in respect to the previous year. Despite its limitations (primarily the small sample), the research is the first of its kind to have been conducted in Croatia and lays the groundwork for future research of the organic food and for a possible deeper analysis of this market.