Driving factors of purchase intention towards organic food: A conceptual study

Increasing awareness of the organic diet to be a healthy food option has become a global phenomenon. Many people have started to accept the fact that organic food does not contain harmful chemicals like the non-organic food. The buying behaviour of people globally is changing due to the concern towards health and environmental issues. The increasing number of incidents of food contamination due to the usage of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides in agriculture has increased the number of consumers turning towards natural products. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and prefer taking organic products. As a result, the global organic food industry is growing at a rate of 20-22 per cent annually. Today, the lifestyle of consumers has changed - eating out has become a routine. The consumer is willing to pay a premium on quality products, especially on food products, from the health point of view. Promising consumers a growing positive attitude has led to opening new market opportunities for producers as well as retailers. Organic foods are those foods that are grown and processed without the use of any chemicals. Organic agriculture is vital in preserving the environment and in improving public health. Thus, the promotion of organic agriculture is not only beneficial for producers, but it also will respond to consumers´ desire for a high food quality and food production that does not damage the environment. This conceptual paper outlines 11 major factors which affect the consumer purchase intentions for organic foods.