A matter of trust: how trust influence organic consumption

TY - JOUR

T1 - A matter of trust

T2 - how trust influence organic consumption

AU - Smed, Sinne

AU - Andersen, Laura Mørch

AU - Kærgård, Niels

AU - Daugbjerg, Carsten

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - This article shows that trust in the organic label as well as perceived positive health effects of consumption of organic products have positive causal effects on actual organic consumption. Furthermore perceived positive environmental effects and perceived better animal welfare related to organic production are found not to have no significant causual effect on actual behaviour, whereas concern for artificial additives and low price sensitivity have. Even when differences in time varying attitudes have been controlled for there is still a rather large heterogeneity in the organic purchasing behaviour. Part of this heterogeneity can be explained by differences in urbanisation or level of education, while income does not seem to have any effect when education has been controlled for. The data used is panel data for 830 households reporting actual purchases as well as stated preferences and attitudes in 2002 and again in 2007. The results point towards that the most efficient way of increasing organic consumption seems to be to continuously increasing the trust in the organic label and/or to document the positive health effects of organic food by e.g. focussing on measurable things such as a lower frequency of findings of pesticide residues in organic foods compared to conventional foods.

AB - This article shows that trust in the organic label as well as perceived positive health effects of consumption of organic products have positive causal effects on actual organic consumption. Furthermore perceived positive environmental effects and perceived better animal welfare related to organic production are found not to have no significant causual effect on actual behaviour, whereas concern for artificial additives and low price sensitivity have. Even when differences in time varying attitudes have been controlled for there is still a rather large heterogeneity in the organic purchasing behaviour. Part of this heterogeneity can be explained by differences in urbanisation or level of education, while income does not seem to have any effect when education has been controlled for. The data used is panel data for 830 households reporting actual purchases as well as stated preferences and attitudes in 2002 and again in 2007. The results point towards that the most efficient way of increasing organic consumption seems to be to continuously increasing the trust in the organic label and/or to document the positive health effects of organic food by e.g. focussing on measurable things such as a lower frequency of findings of pesticide residues in organic foods compared to conventional foods.

U2 - 10.5539/jas.v5n7p91

DO - 10.5539/jas.v5n7p91

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1916-9752

VL - 5

SP - 91

EP - 106

JO - Journal of Agricultural Science

JF - Journal of Agricultural Science

IS - 7

ER -