Exploring the Preferences of Consumers’ Organic Products in Aspects of Sustainable Consumption: The Case of the Polish Consumer

Abstract

The dynamically developing trend of sustainable consumption is manifested, among others, by the growing interest in organic products on the part of consumers. The aim of this article was to identify the behavior of Polish consumers in the market of organic products and to establish a link between their environmental awareness and willingness to buy organic products. The authors hypothesized that there is a relationship between consumer awareness of the concept of sustainable consumption and the consumption of organic products. Consumer awareness means making conscious choices based on the knowledge expressed in the attitudes and, sometimes, preferences of the food brand. The research was conducted using a proprietary survey questionnaire. A total of 1067 respondents participated. A statistical analysis was performed by using Statistica 13.1 PL software, which includes descriptive statistics, the discriminant function analysis, and regression analysis. Motives were identified that are of crucial importance to the consumer deciding to purchase organic products. These include: beneficial health effects, contents of nutrients, no additional substances used in food production, taste, and others. A statistical relationship was established between environmental awareness and the tendency to buy organic products. Among the organic products, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, cow’s milk and its derivatives, as well as cereal products, are the most preferred by consumers of both genders. The proposed model, which outlines the relationship between environmental awareness and the tendency to buy organic products, includes the following variables: care for the environment and animal welfare, no harmful substances used in food production, low level of processing, short shelf life.

Consumer versus Organic Products in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Barriers to Market Development

“…The above has resulted in changing patterns of consumer demand and it was an opportunity to introduce new, innovative distribution methods and logistics practices. Comparing the results of this study to the outcomes presented in the research performed before the COVID-19 pandemic by Bryła [63] and Wojciechowska-Solis and Barska [64], changes can be noticed that have occurred in the behavior of consumers with regards to choosing a purchase channel. First of all, "the Internet" has gained more users-the percentage of persons who claim that they use this particular channel has doubled compared to the results obtained before the pandemic.…”

Contemporary Challenges to the Organic Farming: A Polish and Hungarian Case Study

“…Demand segmentation is taking place globally, and the group of the so-called "green consumers" who prefer a healthy lifestyle and organic products, including food, is growing [61][62][63][64][65]. It responds to the growing health awareness of society [21,55,65,66], society getting richer, and the growing popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets [30]. The fashion for organic products was also noticed by the authors surveyed by the article's authors and is considered one of the key motives for establishing and running organic farms.…”

Analyzing Spatiotemporal Development of Organic Farming in Poland

“…A significant rise was observed in cereal crops cultivated for grain, bulb and root plants, and the headage of cattle bred for meat and milk, thanks to the increasing demand for Polish organic farming products, especially wheat and milk [58]. Paradoxically, the reason for the surge was the spread of coronavirus, and in particular, the lockdown, which determined the need to prepare and consume meals at home [59]. Simultaneously, there was growing interest in local, high-quality products [60].…”