CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS IN CROATIA

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of organic farming, as people have started to rethink their eating habits. Consumers perceive organic products as conducive to good health and associate them with a healthy lifestyle. The paper aims to study consumers’ perceptions of organic food products in Croatia. For the purpose of this research, a survey was conducted among visitors to the organic food fair in Pula and members of Solidarity Ecological Groups (SEGs) in Croatia (Pula, Rovinj, and Osijek). A total of 232 questionnaires were completed and returned. The collected data were analysed with SPSS (22) software, and the results were presented using descriptive statistics, t-test, One-way ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results indicate that the typical organic food buyers are university-educated women aged 25 to 44 years. The most frequently bought products include fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, cereal and cereal products, milk and dairy products and olive oil. Consumers have confidence in the certification of organic production and eco-labels. Moreover, the PCA results show that the most important factors that influence organic consumer purchase behaviour are confidence and quality. The results of this study add to the understanding of consumers’ preferences with regard to organic food products and could be a useful aid in devising marketing strategies for such products.