Understanding Determinants of Organic Food Consumption: Turkey Example

ABSTRACTObjective: The demand for organic products is growing, however in Turkey although the interest to organic products have grown; the growth of demand is relatively low. So it is important for producers of organic products to understand who the organic customers are, and what are their attitudes and behaviors regarding organic food products as well as why people do not prefer them. This is the main of this articleApproach: The study presents the results of a survey regarding consumer perceptions of organic foods in Turkey. The survey was conducted to determine the consumer attitudes toward organic foods and the erasons for consumption and non-consumption of organic foods. A total of 882 consumers that makes the food shopping for their families, living in İzmir participated the survey.Results: The results of the survey revealed that health issue is an important consideration in the consumption of organic products, however respondents stated that they find organic products expensive and hard to find everywhere, and they have some doupts about the reliability of the organic foods. Also five different clusters regarding organic food consumption behavior have been identified.Implications: The findings have practical implications especially for governments. More support and education should be given to the organic producers so that supply of organic food products would increase, and there should be strict control on those products as to reduce consumers' negative attitudes