The Journal of Organics (JO) publishes original research papers on all aspects of organics. This issue includes an editorial on how to get your research published, and original papers on consumer choice, agronomic and production issues, and the historical diffusion of biodynamics and organics.
The Journal is a free, open access, peer reviewed, academic journal publishing research from around the globe, covering a wide variety of subjects including organic food, organic agriculture, organic forestry, organic floristry, and current food issues including GMOs, nanotechnology, urban agriculture, slow food, obesity, other food challenges, and, more broadly, issues that pertain to organic solutions and clean green solutions.
Abstract from:
The organic food market continues to grow yet market share remains low. The majority of consumers in this market tend to switch between organic and conventional food products rather than being heavy users of organic branded products. The purpose of this research is to present a deeper investigation of the factors that can lead to the purchase or non-purchase of organic food in order to gain a better understanding of this switching behaviour. A qualitative grounded theory approach was utilised involving in-depth interviews with 21 participants in Australia. These were primary shoppers who switch between organic and conventional food. An emergent conceptual framework was developed from the data which identifies factors that influence whether or not organic food is bought. This framework includes three layers: consumer context; choice of retail outlet; and point-of-purchase. Depending on the specific situation, these factors influence buyers to different extents and hence their collective impact determines whether the individual purchases organic food on a given shopping event. The framework may be used by organic food marketers as a checklist for developing an understanding of their consumers and a basis for developing strategy.
