Factors Influencing Consumers to Buy Organic Products

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the various factors that influence consumers to buy organic products based on various socio-demographic factors such as age, employment, consumption rate and buying patterns.

Consumer Awareness of Organic Foods

According to Soler et al. (2008), Freeland-Graves and Nitzke (2010), understanding and education are the two key critical factors influencing consumer’s attitudes against organic products. Chakrabarti (2007), Compagnoni et al. (2010) and Cunningham (2012) performed a number of scientific studies to determine the significance of the Special Issue 2644 of the International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics. The understanding, disposition, and behavior of consumers are likely to affect the trend of buying organic food products between developed and developing economies. Squires (2011) suggested that in advanced countries acquiring pattern, expertise and understanding are slightly greater than those in developing countries. He also stated that lower awareness rates in countries such as India are one of the key reasons why organic foods persist in the primary developmental phase.

The Health Concerns of Consumers

Loureiro et al. (2010), Nair (2015) indicated that the increased awareness of customer well-being, food safety and awareness of the environment has resulted in a gradually growing preference of obese people for organic products. According to Chinnici et al. (2012), O'Donovan and McCarthy (2002), Harper and Makatouni (2012), consumers choose to see items that are deemed organic to be manufactured or imported locally, providing detailed details about the country the product was made from, how new the belongings are, and the degree to which the product has improved their wellbeing.

Consumer Environmental Awareness

Consumer attitudes have advanced over the years largely due to different ethical environmental impacts. McKinsey (2017) piloted an experiment and found that customers are more worried about the negative effects of pesticides and other harmful chemicals on farms in countries like Canada, the United States, China and India. Seyfang (2016) indicated that safety and environmental concerns in turn constitute a joint incentive aimed at ethical consumerism. Ethical consumerism is an aspect of consumer advocacy about the purchase of ethical goods at low social and environmental prices, and a moral loss for unethical products (Giesler and Veresiu, 2014). Enhanced consumer awareness of environmental concerns has increased demand for environmentally friendly products. A dramatic change in consumer behaviors and buying intentions occurred when they realized the harm that conventional farming caused to the ecosystem.

Organic Items Available in Supermarket

One of the major obstacles that restrict users from buying organic items is their lack of availability of timely stores. That appears to be unfavorable to organic products. Fair price, good quality, wide range of pricing and availability, guarantee, enhanced services help to develop a favorable preference for organic products. If customers with a nurturing environment for organic products communicate with each other, a greater desire to purchase more organic products will translate into higher market growth.

Consumers Ready to Pay for Organic Foods

Doorn et al. (2011) conducted a study to determine the willingness of a consumer to pay for organic products in the Netherlands. The results showed that health, environmental sustainability and the need for quality products are the main factors that forced people to pay an extra premium while owning them. In Spain, Mesias Diaz et al. (2010) undertook a test to determine user knowledge, their pattern of consumption as well as their willingness to pay for organic tomatoes. Using only a private interviewing skill, primary data were assembled. The study result demonstrates that price serves as a constraint to the acquisition of organic products. If an individual finds it difficult to differentiate between organic and conventional grown food products, a premium charge on organic products can confuse an ordinary buyer and could even affect his or her buying decision.

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Organic Products Quality and Safety

Organic crop cultivation removes the use of harmful insecticides and compounds to preserve crops. Governments, specialists in the healthcare industry, scholars, etc. are actively promoting food safety. Thompson & Kidwell 2016 asserts that its skin-deep quality is directly connected to the physical appearance of an organic product. Researchers claim, the research that we have done so far shows that consumers do not follow their outer appearance. Thompson & Kidwell 2016 argues that while acquiring organic food items, most customers regarded these effects to be insignificant. Several studies show that consumers see flavor as another key factor in the purchase. Study demonstrates that when compared to normal substitutes, consumers demand organic products to have higher nutritional significance and taste.

Gender Affects the Decision to Buy Organic Food

Older women with kids in the family are usually the organic food customers (Renne et al., 2007). Women have been identified with higher health awareness and have been seen as innovators in changing diets (Rodriguez et al., 2007). In addition, while paying a premium for organic food, females are more committed to natural foods and environmental values. While younger customers are showing more interest and favorable attitudes towards organic food, elderly customers are the primary buyers (Magnusson et al., 2003). In addition, parents tend to be very interested in organic food when buying it for their family or when a child arrives (Hughner, McDonagh, Prothero, Shultz, & Stanton, 2007). Consumers who tend to follow the practice of green consumption are more inclined to eat organic products (Lockie, Lyons, Lawrence & Mummery, 2002). The people and women with more revenue and education, awareness of the benefits of organic food and food risks in standard food was greater.

Demand for Organic Food Is Growing

Growing demand in organic food is the consequence of increased awareness of the environment along with occurrences of food safety. The less harmful attitude towards the environment and a healthier option compared with traditional ingredients also plays a crucial role in altering the attitude towards organic foods (Hsu & Chen, 2014) In order to increase consumer demand for organic food, the link between health benefits and environmental welfare should be reinforced (Magnusson et al., 2003; Shafie & Rennie, 2012).

Organic food production is still very small in most Asian nations. However, in developing countries, the favorable attitude towards organic foods is growing, but owing to the high price and absence of laws and regulations, it plays a crucial part in pursuing it further (Rehber & Turhan, 2002). There are dangers and constraints in the agricultural sector in developing nations to produce organic foods, according to the Commission of Sustainable Development. In addition, organic food production should not be the answer to developing countries' requirements. The reason for this declaration might be the low availability of organic farming methods to support agricultural and rural development. Sarker and Itohara (2007) indicated that exporting and earning foreign currency should be the production of organic food in developing nations. As global demand increases, developing nations can profit from this chance.

Sarker and Itohara (2008) stated that the strength of developing nations producing organic foods is high availability of relatively inexpensive labor, low level of use of external inputs, favorable natural circumstances, and varied farming structure. The possibilities could be the new profitable overseas export markets, increasing demand growth in domestic markets. However, reliance on overseas markets and absence of R&D could also be a threat to the production of organic products (Rehber & Tarhan 2011).

The Amount of Income Impacts the Choice to Buy Organic Food

It will rely on demographic factors along with lifestyle and environmental attitudes while segmenting the target market for organic food. Regular organic food customers tend to be high-class, affluent, and educated. However, unsafe and unhealthy traditional food has resulted in more favorable attitudes towards organic food demand for customers. The younger and wealthier people are more drawn to organic food in developing nations compared to others (Pugliese, Zanasi, Atallah, & Cosimo, 2013). Because of the premium pricing, organic food is available to and from the middle class. Although consumers don't want to create a decision between organic and conventional foods, they want to have a lot of choices in organic foods specifically. While customers do not want to make a choice between organic and conventional foods, they specifically want to have a lot of options in organic foods.

Conclusion

Consumers depend on information on product characteristics and experience with it to make the purchase decision of products. The values and priorities of consumers also play a crucial role in purchase choices. Experience is also a significant factor in developing the motivational state. In addition, dietary content is component of an element of quality that connects customers to private health welfare. High levels of vitamins, healthy diets and more nourishing meals were the reasons for buying organic food.