The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike?
There is no doubt that the search for organic products is already more than a trend; it is an indisputable reality. More and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle that starts with food, which has awakened a growing interest in understanding the reasons for these purchases. The motivationa...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/5/983 |
| _version_ | 1797535610557169664 |
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| author | Fernando Nunes Teresa Madureira José Veiga |
| author_facet | Fernando Nunes Teresa Madureira José Veiga |
| author_sort | Fernando Nunes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is no doubt that the search for organic products is already more than a trend; it is an indisputable reality. More and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle that starts with food, which has awakened a growing interest in understanding the reasons for these purchases. The motivational attributes of consumers’ decisions regarding the consumption of organic products are the main aim of this study. The survey included 250 respondents that filled a questionnaire by email and by personal interviews. We used a non-probabilistic sampling method, namely convenience sampling and the best–worst scaling method to analyze 10 attributes of organic purchasing decisions. Then, we studied the impact of the classification variables age, gender, academic level, place of residence, children under 18 living at home, and place of purchase of organic products on the attributes. Applying a chi-square test, we only obtained statistically significant differences for children under 18 living at home and the certification warranty (<i>p</i> = 0.011). The results show the dominance of credence attributes and egoistic motivations on organic consumption and may indicate a path towards the standardization of the organic consumer profile. This study emphasized that we may be facing a new organic consumer, for whom health-related factors are not just significant but overwhelming as well. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:47:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18ae4e0551df47729080f558bca0a54c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:47:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-18ae4e0551df47729080f558bca0a54c2023-11-21T17:56:45ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582021-04-0110598310.3390/foods10050983The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike?Fernando Nunes0Teresa Madureira1José Veiga2Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo (IPVC), 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, PortugalCentre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo (IPVC), 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, PortugalEscola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão (ESTG), Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo (IPVC), 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, PortugalThere is no doubt that the search for organic products is already more than a trend; it is an indisputable reality. More and more people are opting for a healthier lifestyle that starts with food, which has awakened a growing interest in understanding the reasons for these purchases. The motivational attributes of consumers’ decisions regarding the consumption of organic products are the main aim of this study. The survey included 250 respondents that filled a questionnaire by email and by personal interviews. We used a non-probabilistic sampling method, namely convenience sampling and the best–worst scaling method to analyze 10 attributes of organic purchasing decisions. Then, we studied the impact of the classification variables age, gender, academic level, place of residence, children under 18 living at home, and place of purchase of organic products on the attributes. Applying a chi-square test, we only obtained statistically significant differences for children under 18 living at home and the certification warranty (<i>p</i> = 0.011). The results show the dominance of credence attributes and egoistic motivations on organic consumption and may indicate a path towards the standardization of the organic consumer profile. This study emphasized that we may be facing a new organic consumer, for whom health-related factors are not just significant but overwhelming as well.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/5/983organic foodattributesbestworst scalingconsumer behavior |
| spellingShingle | Fernando Nunes Teresa Madureira José Veiga The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike? Foods organic food attributes bestworst scaling consumer behavior |
| title | The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike? |
| title_full | The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike? |
| title_fullStr | The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike? |
| title_short | The Organic Food Choice Pattern: Are Organic Consumers Becoming More Alike? |
| title_sort | organic food choice pattern are organic consumers becoming more alike |
| topic | organic food attributes bestworst scaling consumer behavior |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/5/983 |
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