Organic Food Research: Consumption and Labeling
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We entered
a new era in organic marketing with the final implementation of the
much-anticipated National Organic Program (NOP) on October 21st,
2002. The rulemaking process that led to this new program was lengthy
and complex, to say the least. Consumers were previously confronted with
a diverse array of organic standards at the state, retailer, or product
level - an organic claim meant something different in many
environments. The NOP helps resolve this confusion by formalizing what
it means to be organic, and how these products can be labeled.
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Our goal in
this research is to better understand the consequences of the NOP, changes
in the labeling of organic food, and increased attention on nutrition and
safety issues in the media. Using a variety of survey and case study
approaches, we will collect information regarding customer knowledge of
organic labels, current organic consumption patterns, and the level of
concern held by consumers regarding health, nutrition, food safety, impact
on the local community, and environmental impacts of food production. An
important dimension of this work will be an improved understanding of
consumer willingness to pay for the continuum of processed organic products
as described by the National Organic Program.
The papers
below summarize preliminary results of our November 2003 customer intercept
survey. Additional research is planned in 2004. As new
publications are available, they will be announced at this site.
Following are some reports our our research. All are in Adobe
Acrobat PDF file format.
| Title with clickable link. |
Description |
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A Year with the National Organic Program: What has
changed? |
AEDE First Report Series: This paper explores
evolving trends and government actions impacting this rapidly growing
market segment. |
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Organic Food Labels: A Customer Intercept Survey
of Central Ohio Food Shoppers |
AEDE Report Series: This is a report of a customer intercept survey of
customers in six central Ohio grocery stores; two suburban, two
inner-city and two rural. The paper presents descriptive statistics for
the survey.
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The National
Organic Program:
Implications for Ohio Producers
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Farm Management Update article: (See page 4) Brief
description of the National Organic Program. |
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Who Buys Organic? |
Slides from Neal Hooker's presentation in the
Outlook Program, 2003. |
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Consumer Understanding of Organic Food
Labels Under the National Organic Program and Their Willingness to Pay
for Processed Organic Foods
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Jeremy Beaverson's M.S. Thesis |
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Customer Willingness to
Pay for Multi-Ingredient, Processed Organic Food Products |
This is a report prepared for the annual meetings of the
American Association of Agricultural Economics. It reports the
results of customer intercept surveys at two grocery formats in central
Ohio - A national grocery retailer and a specialty
health/whole
foods grocery store. Estimates of willingness to pay for
multi-ingredient processed foods with varying levels of organic content
are reported.
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A Consumer Survey of Specialty Food
Shoppers: Understanding of the National Organic Program and Willingness
to Pay |
AEDE Report Series: This is a report of a customer intercept survey of
customers in a central Ohio Specialty Health/Whole Food grocery store. The paper presents descriptive statistics for
the survey. |
Putting Their Money Where
Their Mouths Are: Consumer Willingness to Pay for Multi-Ingredient,
Processed Organic Food Products. (Copyrighted - not available for
download)
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Batte, Marvin T., Neal H. Hooker, Timothy C.
Haab, and Jeremy Beaverson.
Food Policy, 32 (2):145-159.
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Tracking the Organic Content of New Foods |
AEDE First Report Series:
Tekle Atalay,
Christopher Shanahan, Neal H. Hooker.
The rapid growth of the U.S. organic food
market and concern over diverse certification programs led to calls to
standardize claims. To simplify comparisons of organic products, USDA
implemented the National Organic Program (NOP) on October 21, 2002. This study
addresses how food processors are reacting to this new label environment,
presents preliminary evidence of new product marketing strategies and suggests
implications for the organic industry. |
OSU Organic Consumer Research Team: Marvin T. Batte, Professor
Neal H. Hooker, Associate Professor
This Page Last updated:
Saturday, January 03, 2009
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