Consumer competence and loyalty in a highly uncertain market: a novel learning mechanism in relation to organic farming

Summary

This study presents a novel learning process for consumers in relation to organic farming. The conditions for the development of consumer loyalty were studied against a background of great uncertainty about this market in relation to changes in consumer behaviour. Consumer competence with regard to organic farming was evaluated through cognitive and experiential experiments (labelled ‘myth’ or ‘management’). Group effects and learning effects (‘complete’ or ‘incomplete’ learning) were variously observed in the different tests. Indeed, both the cognitive phase, directed at ‘management’, and the experiential phase contributed to an improvement in consumer competence. However, improvement was not lasting in all respects. The study provides some insight into the conditions surrounding the consumer learning process in a selected field.1