How important is country-of-origin for organic food consumers? A review of the literature and suggestions for future research

Abstract

Purpose: This paper reviews the literature on the country-of-origin (COO) effect in the context of organic food and develops suggestions for further research in this area. Research has investigated COO effects and consumer responses to organic food, but there is little research on the combination of the two.Design/methodology/approach: A narrative review of two research streams and their intersection, forming the basis for the development of a research agenda. Findings:There are few studies analysing the possible interaction between the effects of organic and COO on consumers' food preferences and choices. In general, COO seems to lose impact when other quality cues are salient. This suggests a lower impact of COO for organic than for conventional food products. However, there is still no research on the possible impact of organic labelling in categories where products from a foreign country are able to demand a premium, and little is known about consumer preferences for different import countries regarding organic food.Six potential future research directions are suggested. Research implications:There is a need for research that more systematically investigates the possible interactions between COO and organic labelling on consumers' food product preferences and choices. A research agenda is suggested as a starting point. Originality/value:This literature review highlights the lack of research on the interaction between COO effects and consumer responses to organic food. The literature review creates a basis for future research and a possible research agenda is suggested.3

Consumers' evaluation of imported organic food products: The role of geographical distance

“…Research on both consumer preferences for organic and COO are thriving (Aschemann-Witzel & Zielke, 2017;Hemmerling, Hamm, & Spiller, 2015;Newman et al, 2014), but research on their combined effect is scarce (Thøgersen, Pedersen, Paternoga, Schwendel, & Aschemann-Witzel, 2017). The COO serves as a cue to product quality for consumers (Verlegh & Steenkamp, 1999), but its impact on consumer evaluation and choice tends to be attenuated if there are other quality cues available as well (Newman et al, 2014).…”

The Influence of “Euro-Leaf” Logo on Consumers’ Choices: The Italian Case of Branded and Private Label Food Products

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