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Do You Prefer Organic Grown Produce Over Non
Do You Prefer Organic Grown Produce Over Non
When eating out, is organic food a factor in deciding where to eat? Yes No Sometimes
Does the idea of eating genetically modified foods or fortified foods bother you at all? Yes Do you feel that you eat healthy? Yes No Not Really No Somewhat
Do you feel that organic food is too pricy? Yes No Not Really
If organic produce was sold at a lower price would you consider buying it more often? Yes No Not Really
Do you know where you can locally find Organic Produce and other Natural Products? Yes No Not Really
What is the farthest that you would travel to shop at a store that sold Organic Produce and other Natural Products? less than 5 miles 6-10 miles 11-15 miles 16-20 miles More than 20 miles
Do you know how to prepare and cook organic food? Yes No Not Really
If live cooking lessons were given at an Organic Foood store and additional cooking information was made available, would you shop at that store? Yes No
If a television program featured the cooking of organic food and offered alternative recipes, would you be interested in watching? Yes No Not Really
Organic is one of the fastest growing agricultural markets in the U.S. (Zehnder, Hope, Hill, Hoyle, & Blake, 2003). Respondents to a nationwide survey believed that organic foods are better for the environment (58%) and better for health (54%) (Whole Foods Market , 2004). In
addition, 57% believed that buying and using organic products is better for supporting small and local farmers. An understanding of consumer perceptions and practices can be useful for marketing organic food to these potential customers. Standards for foods identified as "organic" have differed around the country. The Oregon legislature passed the nation's first organic labeling law in 1973 (State of Oregon, 1973). These regulations prohibited use of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and growth regulators for a minimum of 36 months prior to harvest. Neither processed nor non-processed foods could be labeled "organic" if there was pesticide residue in excess of standards. The adoption of USDA's National Organic Standards in October 2002 (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2003) made organic food regulations uniform across the nation. The rules require "organic" food to be produced without using most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. Standards for labeling a food "organic" were established. We surveyed Oregon consumers 3 months after adoption of the USDA standards. Questions assessing their perceptions about organic food and knowledge about the new standards were included in a broader assessment of responses to a state ballot measure on labeling of genetically engineered foods (Raab & Grobe, 2003; Grobe & Raab, 2004). In wake of the ballot measure defeat, buying organic is an option for Oregon consumers wanting to know whether their food is genetically engineered or not.
Profile of Oregon Food Shopper Interviewees (N = 637) Gender Race 69.4% Female 30.6 Male 90.5% White/Caucasian 2.6 Mixed race 2.3 Latino, Hispanic 1.9 American Indian/Native American 1.6 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0.7 Black/African American 0.4 Other Mean 48.7 +/- 16.6 years Range 18-91 years 8.1 % No high school diploma/GED 24.5 High school graduates/GED 32.6 Some college 10.5 Associate's degree 24.3 Bachelor's degree 14.0% Less than $18,000 12.6 $18,000-$25,000 24.0 $25,000-40,000 26.6 $40,000-70,000 13.3 $70,000-100,000 9.5 Over $100,000 35.0% Urban 34.6 Suburban 22.6 Rural 7.8 Farms/ranches 57.3% Employed 22.2 Retired 5.9 Keeping house 4.5 Looking for work/unemployed 4.5 Disabled/unable to work 3.9 Student 1.1 Volunteer work only 0.6 Something else 55.0% No children under 18 years at home 45.0 Children under 18 years at home
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Note: More frequently cited words by respondents are indicated by a larger font size.
Fewer than 20% of our interviewees mentioned negative associations with the word "organic." About 40% of these mentioned the cost/expense. Other negative word associations related to lack of trust/questionable/credibility, scam/rip-off/fraud, stupid/not necessary, and fake food/gross. The Hartman group also found that the word "organic" conjures up a wide variety of images and beliefs for consumers (Barry, 2002). "Earth-friendly," "grassroots," "synergistic," and "alive" were positive core word associations of their consumers. Other positive words included "chemical-free," "safe," "whole," and "simple". "Trendy" was a negative core word associated with organic food. Other negative words included "inconsistent," "irregular," "small," "spoils easily," and "wilted." As in our survey, the Hartman group identified cost as a negative perception of "organic." According to Gardyn (2002), there is a common perception that organic foods are difficult to find and much more expensive than conventional foods. The 2003 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods Trend Tracker survey of 1,000 adults nationwide (Whole Food Market , 2003) reported that price remains the biggest barrier for consumers who don't eat organic food. The 2004 survey found that 73% of adults believe organics are too expensive (Whole Foods Market, 2004). If cost is a valid concern, organic marketing campaigns might focus on benefits provided (e.g., environmental.)
The interviewees reported buying a variety of organic foods. Thirty-two percent purchased organic food in just one of five categories (fruit, vegetables, meat, grain, other); 42% purchased in two of the five categories. Only 6% purchased from all five categories. About three-fourths purchased organic vegetables, and two thirds purchased fruit. Organic dairy products were purchased by about one-quarter of respondents; fewer purchased meat and other products (such as grains). Organic food use was similar to the Walnut Acres/RoperASW survey finding (Gardyn, 2002) that 70% of Americans had purchased an organic food product at least once. Of these, 32% reported buying organic food occasionally, and 16% bought it every time they shop. People living in the West were more likely to be purchasers. Organic fruits and vegetables were purchased most often. The 2003 Whole Foods Market Organic Foods Trends Tracker Survey found that 54% of Americans had tried organic foods; 29% claimed to be consuming more organic food and beverages than 1 year before (Whole Foods Market , 2003). This was supported by the 2004 survey findings that 54% of the 1,000 respondents had tried organic food and beverages; nearly 10% used organic products regularly or several times per week. (Whole Foods Market , 2004). Fruits and vegetables were sought by 68% of organic food users. Other organic purchases included bread or baked goods (26%) and nondairy beverages (26%). A 2004 American Demographics/Harris Interactive survey (Murphy, 2004) found that organic or "natural " food is purchased "always" (2%), "often" (12%), "sometimes" (33%), "rarely" (34%), and "never" (15%). Thirty-nine percent "always" or "often" looked at labels to find out how food was produced.
knowledge about the standards. Their awareness was not significantly associated with frequency of organic food purchase in the last six months. The standards had been in effect for only three of those months, however. Figure 3. Level of Knowledge About National Organic Standards by Oregon Food Shoppers
More recent national surveys have suggested that the USDA standards can affect organic purchases of some consumers. The 2003 Whole Foods Market survey found that 29% of Americans believe that the new logo and/or clearer labeling required by USDA has had an impact on their decisions to purchase organic food (Whole Foods Market , 2003). Nearly onehalf (47%) of those claiming to consume more organics than 1 year ago felt that clear, credible organic labeling makes them more inclined to purchase organic food. Trust in the accuracy of the USDA organic label might influence consumer responses. Oregon food shoppers' trust in the accuracy of the new labeling varied: 18.9% reported "a lot" of trust, 50.8% "some", 23.0% "a little", and 7.4% "not at all". Trust was not associated with frequency of household organic food purchases in the last 6 months. An understanding of what the organic standards entail might also influence consumer responses. Of our sample of food shoppers, those who knew "a lot" or "something" about the new USDA standards, 68.5% knew that genetically engineered foods can't be labeled "organic" under the new standards; 56.9% knew that irradiated foods can't be labeled "organic." According to the national 2003 Whole Food Market survey, 76% of consumers who buy organics agree that they are products without genetically modified organisms; 69% agree that they are products without irradiation (Whole Foods Market , 2003). The higher awareness could suggest that consumers became more knowledgeable after our survey. It could also suggest differential results nationwide compared to the state of Oregon.
As with consumers nationwide, our findings show that many Oregonians choose organic foods at least some of the time. Their perceptions of "organic" are both positive (such as chemical free) and negative (such as cost). Although perceptions may not be supported by research, they do describe viewpoints that could potentially influence purchases. Marketing campaigns focused on perceived benefits of organic foods (such as "earth friendly," "natural," and "home grown") have the potential to counter negative perceptions such as cost. Maintaining good product quality can enhance positive consumer perceptions. Our findings suggest that organic food purchasers in Oregon tend to be environmentally conscious. If so, appealing to this value might be an effective marketing strategy. Consumers with concerns about irradiation or genetic engineering could also be targeted to encourage use of organic as an alternative. A marketing campaign could promote the consistent national standard for "organic." The potential impact of the USDA standards on organic food purchase merits research, however. Although there was no link between Oregon consumers' awareness of the new USDA standards and the frequency of their organic food purchases, enough time had not lapsed to measure true impact. The October 2002 adoption of the standards was at the end of Oregon's seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables, the most common organic food purchases. Lack of visibility could affect consumer awareness of the new USDA organic standards. Labeling has the potential to increase consumer confidence. Display of the USDA organic certification seal on packages or signage could increase consumer awareness. Oregon consumers' trust in the accuracy of the USDA organic labeling might influence its impact. Further study would be warranted to assess their perceptions now that the standards have been in effect for over 2 years. If consumers perceive that interpretation of the National Organic Program standards weakens stringent requirements, this might lessen their trust and willingness to buy organic. Open communication, such as public reports on compliance and enforcement of the standards, might increase consumer trust. This could be conveyed in an organic food marketing campaign that emphasizes trustworthiness of the label.
References
Barry, M. (2002). What does "organic" mean to today's consumer. Natural Sensibility, 3. Available at: http://www.hartman-group.com/products/natsens/issueV-03.html Gardyn, R. (2002). The big O. American Demographics, 26(2), 20. Grobe, D., & Raab, C. (2004). Voters' response to labeling genetically engineered foods: Oregon's experience. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 38(2), 320-331. Murphy, R. M. (2004). Truth or scare. American Demographics, 26(2), 26-32.
Raab, C., & Grobe, D. (2003). Labeling genetically engineered food: The consumer's right to know? AgBioForum, 6(4), 155-161. Available at: http://www.agbioforum.org/v6n4/v6n4a02raab.htm State of Oregon. 1973. Organic Food. ORS 616.405/ OAR 603-025-0040 to 0070. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2003). The National Organic Program. Available at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop Whole Foods Market (2003). One year after USDA organic standards are enacted more Americans are consuming organic food. Available at: http://www.wholefoods.com/company/pr_10-14-03.html Whole Foods Market (2004). Organic foods continue to grow in popularity according to Whole Foods Market survey. Available at: http://www.wholefoods.com/company/pr_10-2104.html Zehnder, G., Hope, C., Hill, H., Hoyle, L., & Blake, J. H. (2003). An assessment of consumer preferences for IPM- and organically grown produce. Journal of Extension [On-line], 41(2). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2003april/rb3.shtml