Perceptions, values and behaviour: The case of organic foods

Summary in the original language of the document

This analysis of the Danish organic food market investigates the relationships between household purchasing behaviour and stated values, motives and concerns. Attention is also given to the importance of sales chan-nels and the functions of labelling. We identify the specific attributes that induce consumers to purchase or-ganic foods, distinguishing ‘private’ from ‘public’ valued attributes. Using household level information on stated values and concerns and data regarding real market purchases for approximately 2000 households dur-ing the period 1997-2001, the declared values and actual market behaviour of the same households are com-pared. We find that household propensity to purchase organic foods increases significantly with the declared importance accorded to ‘private good’ attributes, leading to the conclusion that these values determine the actual level of market participation. The weight that households assign to public good attributes does not contribute significantly to the explanation of household organic budget share. However, since almost all con-sumers who purchase organic foods do in fact acknowledge ‘public good’ attributes, these values may also constitute a prerequisite for purchasing organic products.