Consumers’ Awareness on Environment: A Study on Purchasing Behavior of Fresh Apple in East Java, Indonesia

This study aimed to find the influence of psychographic and economic factors toward purchasing volume of local and imported apple. The study was conducted in Malang and Surabaya, East Java Province. Malang represents the production area of local apple, meanwhile Surabaya represents the biggest city in East Java. The consumer survey was done at three categories of place to buy, i.e. supermarket, fruit stall and traditional market. The total consumer interviewed was 120 people. Data was analyzed by using linear regression. Some psychographic factors i.e.: environmental awareness, awareness on apple cultivation and trustee of pesticide free influence positively to the purchasing volume of local apple. Meanwhile on the imported apple, consumer’s taste and prestige motivation positively influence purchasing volume. The economic factors i.e. apple price and price of substitute fruits influence the purchasing volume only on the imported apple. It can be inferred that consumers of local apple pay attention more to the sustainable agriculture (apple cultivation) and sustainable environment, comparing with them of imported apple. This study finding implies that agribusiness actors of local apple, farmers and marketers, should pay attention on sustainability agriculture with minimum usage of pesticide, to avoid pesticide residue on the apple product