Understanding consumer behaviour and preferences for organic food products in developing markets: A theoretical framework

Abstract

Over the past few years, both consumers and researchers have given much attention to an increasing demand for organic food products around the world. While the motivation and barriers of consumers in mature markets are thoroughly examined, there is a great deal still to be understood about consumer behaviour in emerging markets. In contrast to developed markets in which various factors, such as taste, product quality, safety and environment concerns influence consumer choice, there is a strong emphasis on the motivation of health. This insight has shown the need to appreciate more complex aspects of culture and societal context, which influence consumer behaviour in emerging markets. The current literature is predominantly confined to Europe and North America, despite the increasing demand for organic food products in emerging markets. The influence of these factors is that consumers' attitudes, e.g. purchases and particularly organic foods, do not correspond to the exact level of appropriate behaviour. A potential buyer having a positive attitude toward organic food does not necessarily leads to a purchase. Research carried out in the Asian countries: China, Thailand and India also revealed an important role played by health and safety as a reason for buying organic foods. The health aspects of organic foods, which are the most frequently used reason for buying those products, have been shown to play an important role in many studies into why consumers buy these products. Health is determined largely by internal motivation, such as feeling better about preventing illness and having a healthy body image, but also the social factors that act as external factors e.g., peer pressure to eat organic food, are the main reason for purchasing organic foods. Developing markets in the US and Europe have been a primary focus of previous studies on the consumption of organically produced products.

Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Organic food, Developing countries, Market research, Emerging countries.

JEL Classification : D10, D11, M31, M37

Paper type: Theoretical Research