Increase in the Global Demand of Organic Food

Abstract

The western market has witnessed an increasing demand in organic food products through recent years. The Danish market is thought to be one of the most mature markets in the world & demand in organic food has been growing from over couple of decades.

The main factor that urges the customer to buy organic food seems to be its health benefits. A brief stroll around the local supermarket reveals that edibles labelled as “Organic” or “Okologist” in Danish, demands a higher price which are sometimes as high as meat.

This study aims to gain an insight into what motivates or demotivates Danish customer into buying organic food products. The research will be based on the inductive approach and quantitave method will be used from random customer to find out the motivating factor for them to purchase the organic food.

Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Organic food, buying behaviour, food choice

Introduction

Background Introduction

In Denmark, as in other different nations, interest for organic food items has become in the course of the most recent couple of decades. The mindfulness on the unsafe impacts of synthetic concoctions present in food is expanding among the buyers. The pattern towards buying organic product is developing among individuals. An investigation to recognize what really initiates purchasers to turn towards natural sustenance is significant Improvements in current organic generation have been driven to a great extent by the perfect of maintainability and ecological concerns. Be that as it may, frames of mind to generation have advanced in an exchange among producers and consumers, prompting improvements in the impression of the two gatherings (Lassen & Korzen, 2009).

The awareness on the destructive impacts of these highly toxin contaminant items are developing among the purchasers. As an option to these, more individuals are turning towards organic items. Organic food contains those horticultural sustenance items that are not treated with compound manures, pesticides, herbicides and other manufactured synthetic substances amid its production, processing and storage. What’s more, organic food items do not contain hereditarily adjusted materials, to achieve the reasonable arrangement of farming. In animals reproducing, natural technique does not utilize development hormones, anti-toxins and different synthetic substances to improve the development. The development and utilization of natural sustenance items have been incredibly expanding in the ongoing years because of the expanding awareness.

This study tries to address the factors influencing the decision of Danish consumers on buying organic vs non-organic food products. Hence, the main goal of this study is to enhance our understanding towards Danish consumers on what factors do they take into consideration when deciding on whether to buy an organic food product or go for the normal one. It has been claimed that organic consumption in Denmark has become “normalized” as the purchase of organic products is normal for Danes; only 8–9% of Danes never buy organic food according to survey data (Kjærnes & Holm, 2007) cited in ulf Hjelmer, page 336. The Danish market distinguishes itself by having one of the highest organic market shares in Europe (Schaack and Willer, 2010; Torjusen et al., 2004).

Research Aim and objectives

The main aim of the research is to find out the potential possible factors that encourage the consumer towards purchasing organic food product over inorganic food products.

The specific objectives of this research is as follow:

• To identify the possible factors motivating the purchase of organic product by consumers.
•  To evaluate social and ethical values of the customer influences their purchasing behaviour towards organic food products.
• To draw possible business implications for the producers & retailers that will help them to better understand the consumer’s needs & properly place and market their produce in order to attract more consumers towards the organic world.

Literature Review

Sobal et al. (2014) and Christensen (2004) proposed that sustenance inclination is a dynamic and thusly coordinated into the public activity of an individual or a family with functional varieties, for example, family debate and feelings. It is likewise very and subliminally affected by political perspectives and moral qualities. So also, individuals’ view on what is beneficial for them, their family and society can be found in their obtaining propensity, in this manner, on the off chance that we need to comprehend the their natural utilization, we have to examine how their decisions are arranged and defended (Stamer, 2018, Boltanski and Thevonot, 1999).

A few investigations uncover that wellbeing and healthy benefit is the most significant reason persuading for the buy of organic items (Baker, 2004, Chinnici et al., 2002, Honkanen et al., 2006, Magnusson et al., 2003).

The current writing reveals insight into various key issues and expands our comprehension of shopping conduct with respect to natural sustenance. In the meantime, it likewise indicates holes in our comprehension. The writing is mostly founded on study techniques (McEachern & McClean, 2002).

Crosswise over national settings, most investigations recognize wellbeing worries as customers’ essential explanations behind purchasing natural sustenance. Taste is distinguished as another fundamental factor yet worries about nature and creature welfare are additionally discovered significant in certain studies (e.g. Grankvist and Biel, 2001, Harper and Makatouni, 2002, Honkanen et al., 2006, Magistris and Gracia, 2008).

Ordering health and taste as private or egoistic and, on the other hand, nature and creature welfare as open or benevolent concerns, various investigations accordingly presume that natural purchasers are persuaded basically by private or prideful concerns (e.g. McEachern and McClean, 2002, Michaelidou and Hassan, 2008, Padel and Foster, 2005, Wier et al., 2008).

From a more extensive point of view, the ascent and development of natural utilization has been viewed as a reaction to improvements in present day society. A few examinations locate that natural nourishment is seen as more secure than routinely created sustenance (e.g.Michaelidou and Hassan, 2008, Rimal et al., 2005, Williams and Hammitt, 2000, Williams and Hammitt, 2001).

Research Approach

The purposed research will be based on the inductive approach. If research starts by collecting data, explore a phenomenon and generate or build theory, then we use an inductive approach (Saunders, 2012). At first, the research will include a definition of research targets followed by gathering information as well as counsel existing written works to fulfil the destinations.

Inductive reasoning starts with itemized perceptions of the world, which moves towards increasingly conceptual speculations and ideas. When following an inductive methodology, starting with a theme, an analyst will in general create exact speculations and distinguish starter connections as he advances through his examination. No speculations can be found at the underlying phases of the exploration and the analyst isn’t sure about the sort and nature of the examination discoveries until the investigation is finished.

 Research Design and Strategy

A quantitative study will be directed with the random customers of organic items from grocery stores like Irma, Netto or Fotex. Quantitative research is characterized as a deliberate examination of marvels by social affair quantifiable information and performing factual, scientific or computational systems. Quantitative research accumulates data from existing and potential clients utilizing testing strategies and conveying on the web reviews, online surveys, polls and so forth, the consequences of which can be delineated as numerical. After careful comprehension of these numbers to anticipate the eventual fate of an item or administration and make changes in like manner. Sample respondents will be chosen through likelihood inspecting approach, utilizing arbitrary testing methods. Consumer will’s identity visiting picked outlets amid the review time, and the individuals who have room schedule-wise to fill the overview instrument and willing to partake in the study, will frame the example respondents.

The research will be directed over a four-month term from September to the first of December and in this manner, time is constrained. The participants will be made aware of the points and goals of the research. As far as auxiliary information, books, diary articles and other legitimate sources will be utilized.

Business Implication

The research can draw the consumer’s preferences & factors influencing the purchase of an organic product which will help the retailers as well as producers to strategically produce, price & market their various organic offerings to attract & motivate a wider group of consumers who aren’t already conscious enough or care to buy organic products.

Limitation

Since the study is limited within a small group of consumers, one cannot draw a complete picture that fits the entire consumer market. Also, time is another limiting factor in this research. Not only the duration of the research period is constrained, the time that a single participant can dedicate is also limited. The participants might also be sceptical about certain information that they would like to keep private regarding their personal preference and eating habits which might lead to inaccuracy to a certain extent.

Ethical Issues & Considerations

Independent of the kind of research being led, the issues of access and morals is a significant thought in guaranteeing its prosperity (Saunders et al, 2015). The respondents’ consent would be acquired, telling them how the exploration discoveries would be utilized. The researcher would likewise try to guarantee respondents privacy and secrecy of their reactions and guarantee not to acquire reactions through misdirection

Conclusion

The aim of the study is to achieve a better understanding of the main factors driving consumers’ purchase of organic food products. Questionnaires will be conducted with Danish customers allowing the respondents to freely express why they purchased various food items, including organic food products. Based on the feedback from the respondents, the study aims to draw rough ideas that may help the producers and retailers to better understand the organic market and their consumers in order to apply them in their respective businesses accordingly.