British Food Journal

E. Baecke; G. Rogiers; L. De Cock ; G. Van Huylenbroeck

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425633pmid: N/A

Organic products form a growing segment of the food market. Recent estimates speak about market shares between 1 to 4.25 per cent. In Belgium the share is only 1 per cent, but the market is growing exponentially. Organic farmers in Belgium often have to sell their products as conventional products because of non-efficient marketing systems. Marketing problems are also mentioned as one of the main reasons by conventional farmers for not converting. Most conventional farmers are not only rather sceptical about the long-term perspectives of getting a price premium for organic products, but consider the organisation of the supply chain as one of the main sources of uncertainty and therefore as a constraint for conversion. Therefore more efforts should be made to organise the supply chain for organic products. The problem seems to be that of the egg and the chicken: for a cost-effective supply chain a condition is to have enough producers, while for a lot of producers a cost-effective swupply chain seems to be a necessary condition to convert, mainly because of high transaction costs linked to non-efficient marketing.

M. Crescimanno; S. Di Marco; G. Guccione

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425642pmid: N/A

This research analyses the main structural factors of the organic olive oil sector in Sicily, and the effects of the European sustainable development policy (EEC Regulation 2092/91, EEC Regulation 2078/92). It examines the trade marketing of organic producers of olive oil like the initiatives to exploit European branding, typicalness, and European recognition of PDO (protected denomination of origin).

Gaetano Chinnici; Mario D’Amico; Biagio Pecorino

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425651pmid: N/A

In recent decades there has been a tendency towards a "standardization" in the consumer habits of people living in countries with advanced economic development. This has been caused both by the change in the products available and in lifestyles and by the "power" acquired by modern distribution channels (large retail distribution). Apart from this development, however, there has been increasing interest, particularly in the last ten years, in dietary, health and hygiene products characterized by high quality production and content, which may or may not be closely connected with the history and/or culture of the territory. In order, therefore, to understand the mechanisms that regulate the consumer market of organic produce better, a survey was carried out to define the use, purchase and sensitivity to the price of these products in relation to the preferences expressed by consumers as regards the benefits associated with the consumption.

Gianni Cicia; Teresa Del Giudice; Riccardo Scarpa

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425660pmid: N/A

With this study we investigate the preferences of an important category of consumers of organic products (regular consumers of organic food or RCOFs) allowing for preference heterogeneity. A survey instrument was developed to elicit preferences for important qualitative and quantitative attributes of extra virgin olive oil. The survey was administered via questionnaire to a random sample of 198 RCOFs in organic food stores of Naples, Italy. The choice task was organised around a fractional factorial main effects orthogonal design. Each respondent made eight choices to rank-order nine product profiles in terms of their individual preference. Product attributes included price, origin of production, type of certification and visual appearance. Interestingly, the set of observed responses appears to display significant preference heterogeneity for origin of production and price. Once heterogeneity and correlation among repeated choice by the same respondent are accounted for by means of random-parameter panel logit models, the fit increases dramatically with respect to the more restrictive fixed-parameter logit models. Results also suggest that price plays an important role as quality proxy, while visual appearance is not significant in preference modelling and the type of certification programme has a fixed effect.

Johannes Eisenbach

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425679pmid: N/A

Focuses on the growth in production and consumption of organic food. Uses the example of this growth in Greece to suggest a four-stage model, relevant across Europe, that governs the creation and development of virgin organic markets.

Maurizio Canavari; Guido Maria Bazzani; Roberta Spadoni; Domenico Regazzi

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425688pmid: N/A

Reports the first results of a study on how increased awareness of food safety can influence consumer behaviour regarding specific products. Looks into consumer attitudes towards organic apples by means of a survey conducted among customers of large retail outlets located in Emilia-Romagna (Italy). Analyses consumer attitudes toward organic food, studying the price/quantity/quality relationship for this type of product. Consumers were directly interviewed at retail outlets, A questionnaire consisting of the following four sections was used: fruit consumption; pesticide abatement; organic fruit and organic apple demand; and demographic profile of respondent. Presents the results of the preliminary test phase of the survey. The pre-test results are quite encouraging and enable us to start the final investigation round. The survey will continue in three rounds over a 12-month period, trying in this way to override the relatively high seasonality of apple consumption.

C. Fotopoulos; A. Krystallis

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425697pmid: N/A

The present study attempts to offer more insights into the Greek organic market. It examines the organic products as "eco-products", suitable for "green" consumers, conscious in matters of ecology-environment, who follow a wider health and quality-sensitive stance of life. Analyzing a countrywide sample, the survey concludes that three consumer types exist in terms of attitude towards, purchase intention and awareness of organic products: the "unaware", the "aware non-users", and the "aware users" (or simply users) of organic food products. After developing a detailed profile of the other two, the "aware non-users" type is segmented in terms of five groups of personality and behavioral factors defined in the international literature as the driving forces of organic purchase. Then, organic products' rejection reasons and potential organic buyer segments are revealed and their profile is fully described.

Dimitri Damianos; Nicholas Giannakopoulos

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425705pmid: N/A

The present paper examines the factors influencing the farmers' uptake of agri-environmental measures. Empirical evidence from Thessaly, a prefecture in central Greece where the first agri-environmental measures in Greece were applied, shows that several factors can affect the farmers' decision to participate. These factors refer mainly to the socio-economic and farm characteristics of the surveyed farmers. Agricultural education/training of the farmers, the farm's economic size, participation by neighbors or relatives, age and general education, can influence participation in the agri-environmental measures, and more precisely in the Nitrate Reduction program. These variables were found also to be the main factors responsible for the extent of participation in terms of land allocation.

M. Crescimanno; G.B. Ficani; G. Guccione

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425714pmid: N/A

This paper aims at a better knowledge of the organic wine sector in Sicily. In the last few years regulations 2078/92 and 2092/91 have had a wide diffusion in the agricultural regional context; a rapid increase of areas and farms justify the attention paid by the European union policies. Two aspects of the sector have been examined: the influence on the implementation of Reg. 2078/92 with regard to diffusion of the organic wine sector in Sicily; and a group of farms in the west of Sicily have been analysed to verify the scenario of organic wine, and the strategy used in the commercialization of organic production. The results show a very interesting framework for organic wine. This is a sector in the process of major expansion, especially with regard to the trade profile, mainly because of increasing demand from markets abroad.

Gemma C. Harper; Aikaterini Makatouni

doi: 10.1108/00070700210425723pmid: N/A

This paper is derived from a larger scale project investigating consumer attitudes towards organic food in the UK. Presents focus group results on consumer perceptions, attitudes and behaviour in relation to two key interrelated food trends: organic food and animal welfare. The results indicate that consumers often confuse organic and free-range products because they believe that "organic" is equivalent to "free-range" food. Focus group discussions were conducted to identify the main beliefs and attitudes towards organic food of both organic and non-organic food buyers. Results indicate that, although health and food safety concerns are the main motives for organic food purchases, ethical concerns, specifically in relation to standards of animal welfare, play a significant influencing role in the decision to purchase organic food. The results are consistent with parallel research into consumer concerns about animal welfare, which showed that consumers are primarily concerned about food safety issues. Furthermore, the research illustrates the central outcome that animal welfare is used by consumers as an indicator of other, more important product attributes, such as safety and the impact on health. Indeed, ethical considerations seem to motivate the purchase of organic food and free-range products and, therefore, may be viewed as interrelated. However, such ethical frameworks are closely related, if not contingent upon, the quality of the product, which includes perceptions of higher standards of safety and healthiness. Based on the qualitative data, suggests that the organic market could take advantage of research on consumer motivation to buy free-range products, by embodying ethical concerns as an indicator of product quality.