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Kayla Molina

Dr. Kevin Lindberg

ENGL 1302-102

17 October 2023

Is Organic food genuinely beneficial?

Organic foods have been an evident topic among researchers. In the United States, the

total sales of organic food have grown from $3.6 billion to $39 billion between 1997 and 2014

(Kim et al. 364). As its rise in sales has grown, so has the question: Is Organic food genuinely

beneficial? Several studies on the effects of organic food have been recorded. Some included

consumer trust, price, social pressure, and health benefits compared to conventional foods.

To begin, consumer trust is crucial for a company to establish a market for credence

goods in order to sell their product (Nuttavthisit and Thogerson 323). There are two

differentiations of trust, which are embedded and disembedded. Embedded trust can be defined

as being a traditional, personal, or localized form of trust, whereas disembedded is more

universalistic and institutional (Nuttavthisit and Thogerson 324). For example, an embedded

trust would be going to a well-known local store, and a disembedded trust would be using

“green” to label products. When consumers buy products, specifically organic foods, they need

to believe that the product will benefit them and is provided by an authentic supply chain. The

authenticity depends on the retailer, certification, organic labels, and the confirmation that the

product is genuine (Nuttavthisit and Thogerson 324).

Similarly to consumer trust is the credibility of organic foods. In “Is It Really Organic?

Credibility Factors of Organic Food-A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis,” the

authors examined the certification of organic food supply chains. While in the process of finding
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all the possible factors, there were “five authenticity-related themes: organic label, origin, retail

outlet/brand, packaging, and product category” (László Bendegúz et al. 4). Nevertheless, they

then narrowed down their research, basing it on fifty-five articles. Nine exogenous factors were

identified: labeling, certification, place of purchase, country of origin, brand, price,

communication, product category, and packaging. The most important is certification because of

the amount of trust consumers put into them. The certification lets the consumers know the

product is guaranteed to be authentic. But, without the labeling for the product, the certification's

credibility can be affected. Labels are what most consumers initially look at and inform them that

the product is organic. As for the country of origin and place of purchase, the majority of people

pay close attention to this characteristic.

A crucial barrier towards “alternative” products, or organic, is the premium price.

Research showed customers' price knowledge and how they tend to overestimate the cost

(Aschemann-Witzel and Zielke 214). Positive and negative roles can significantly impact the

foods' WTP or willingness to pay. Often, when consumers have limited budgets, they lean more

toward the negative. For example, income is a considerable factor that decides whether a person

will be willing to spend more money on a product. If someone were to be pondering which goods

they should get, they first compare the price rather than the health benefits. They have an

increased “price search behavior and price consciousness”(Aschemann-Witzel and Zielke 214).

The perceived cost of organic food can not exceed a consumer’s WTP if they want to sell. The

study also found that occasional organic consumers use the high prices to justify their purchases

of conventional foods.

In addition to the WTP of buyers, social pressure can significantly affect their decision on

whether they will buy organic or conventional foods. A study by Seon-Woong Kim tested how a
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person’s willingness to pay is affected when in the presence of others. Each subject was

examined in two different situations, individually and with a group. Results showed that ninety

percent, while being watched, choose to pay the premium price for organic food. Thus, the social

pressure on the subjects increased their willingness to pay for these products. Recently, societies'

drive to have a high social standing has become more prominent. Celebrities often promote the

belief that organic is the best lifestyle. The norm has changed due to these values, and consumers

purchase these products due to society’s extensive praise. The cultural push for organic products

increased people's likeliness to buy.

Finally, “Is organic food genuine, and how is it beneficial to the health of others?” In

“Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review,”

organic foods are “generally grown without pesticides or fertilizers or routine use of antibiotics,

or growth hormones” (348). Two independent investigators collected the statistics on organic

foods' methods, healthiness, nutrients, and contamination status. They reported that about sixty-

eight percent showed the harvesting or processing methods were the same for both organic and

inorganic produce (Smith-Spangler 352), along with no major differences in nutrient and vitamin

levels (Smith-Spangler 353). However, pesticide contamination in organic food was seven

percent and thirty-eight percent for conventional (Smith-Spangler 353). Bacterial contamination

was not severely drastic, with only a one percent difference, organic at seven percent and

inorganic at six percent. Although bacteria is typical for both groups, organic food was found to

be at higher risk. This is because of the use of antibiotics that are bacteria-resistant in organic

foods, which lead to antibiotic-resistant infections in humans. The risk of contamination is

prominent in both groups, with organic having an increased chance of E. coli. Consequently, the
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cases were heterogeneous in this study, lacking substantial evidence proving organic food is

nutritious.

In conclusion, organic food can be a complicated subject on its own. Throughout time, it

has consistently grown and gained popularity and high status by customers. Through this

increased demand comes exceedingly high prices compared to conventional food. Most lean

towards a cheaper route, picking inorganic foods, because they do not notice a difference. Yet,

sometimes, the prices do not seem to affect the WTP of customers when around strangers or

peers. This societal push for organic food has raised questions about whether it is more beneficial

for one’s health. Although the article used was heterogeneous, it was not proven that organic

food was more nutritious. With this information, consumer trust can be negatively impacted,

leading the product to be less likely to sell. Overall, organic versus conventional foods is an

ongoing discussion that researchers continue to investigate and gather evidence on.
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Works Cited

Aschemann-witzel, Jessica, and Stephan Zielke. “Can’t Buy Me Green? A Review of

Consumer Perceptions of and Behavior Toward the Price of Organic Food.” The Journal

of Consumer Affairs, vol. 51, no. 1, 2017, pp. 211–51, https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12092.

Kim, Seon-Woong, et al. “‘Look at Me, I’m Buying Organic’: The Effects of Social

Pressure on Organic Food Purchases.” Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics,

vol. 43, no. 3, 2018, pp. 364–387. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26797526.

Nagy, László Bendegúz, et al. “Is It Really Organic? Credibility Factors of Organic

Food-A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis.” PloS One, vol. 17, no. 4, 2022,

pp. e0266855–e0266855, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266855.

Nuttavuthisit, Krittinee, and John Thøgersen. "The Importance of Consumer Trust for the

Emergence of a Market for Green Products: The Case of Organic Food: JBE." Journal of

Business Ethics, vol. 140, no. 2, 2017, pp. 323-337. ProQuest,

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/tamiu.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-

journals/importance-consumer-trust-emergence-market-green/docview/1865250016/se-2.

Smith-Spangler C, Crystal, et al. “Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier than

Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review.” EBSCOhost, 2012 American College

of Physician, 4 Sept. 2012, web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

vid=0&sid=347521d1-2607-4e6b-a240-ddb71064fd34%40redis.