Consumer Decision-Making with Regard to Organic Food Products

Abstract

Organic food production combines traditional and innovative food production methods with modern marketing principles. Organic production of foods is not the only, but it is the most far-reaching of currently applied measures to increase the sustainability of food production and consumption. As in other areas, there is a pronounced preference for voluntary measures to promote the choice of environmentally-friendly food products. The widespread subsidizing of organic farming (over and above the subsidies that farmers in general usually receive) influences consumers by increasing the supply and reducing the relative price of organic food products. In addition, there are state-supported labelling schemes to assist consumers who want to choose organic food products (e.g. Thøgersen, 2002). These voluntary measures seem to have had some success in promoting organic food products: at least, it is reported that the sale of these products is increasing in most European countries (see, e.g., Henson, 2002).