Year: 2012
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Consumer behavior and its food purchasing decisions involve the interaction between the profile of each customer, the \nattributes of the products in question as well as perception of such attributes by consumers. Considering the growing \nconcern about environmental degradation and the recovery of a healthy diet, organic farming represents a sustainable and \nhealthy alternative, experiencing significant growth both in production and in terms of demand for such products. Given the \nimportance of the topic, this study sought to identify which attributes are most valued by consumers of organic products \nand the perception of those attributes related to the characteristics of the consumer profile. To meet this objective an \nexploratory study was conducted through a quantitative survey. The profile of the sample was 71.2 % women, 62% were \nmarried and 68% had children. The age group with the largest number of respondents was that of older people aged 50 to \n69 years (35%); there were also 62% persons with university degree, indicating a high educational level of this market \nsegment. The attributes considered most important by consumers sampled, in descending order, were: absence of chemical \nresiduos, health benefits, the credibility of the sales outlet, freshness, and product certification. There is evidence that consumers \nof organic products may be segmented with respect to demographic variables such as «age», and behavioral issues and \nprofile as «interest in obtaining information about environmental issues», ranging from the importance given to each attribute \nsearched for different groups of these profile variables.
Source: Agroalimentaria
Institution: Universidade de São Paulo
Language: Portuguese
Topic: Organic Food and Agriculture
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W1529248098