Organic consumers and new lifestyles: An Italian country survey on consumption patterns

Giuseppe Pellegrini; Federica Farinello

doi:10.1108/00070700910992862

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British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Online from: 1899

Subject Area: Industry and Public Sector Management

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Organic consumers and new lifestyles: An Italian country survey on consumption patterns

Document Information:
Title:	Organic consumers and new lifestyles: An Italian country survey on consumption patterns
Author(s):	Giuseppe Pellegrini, (Department of Sociology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy), Federica Farinello, (Observa – Science in Society, Vicenza, Italy)
Citation:	Giuseppe Pellegrini, Federica Farinello, (2009) "Organic consumers and new lifestyles: An Italian country survey on consumption patterns", British Food Journal, Vol. 111 Iss: 9, pp.948 - 974
Keywords:	Consumer behaviour, Individual perception, Italy, Organic foods
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/00070700910992862 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Acknowledgements:	The National Research on Organic Food Consumptions was conducted by Observa – Science in Society (www.observa.eu) as part of the Risbio project promoted and funded by the Italian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry (MIPAAF) and coordinated by the University of Bologna. The research was carried out on a representative sample of the population aged between 18 and 65 by interviewing those responsible in households for food purchases (1,019 cases). The interviews were conducted in February 2007 with the CATI method using professional phone interviewers. The survey had an overall margin of error of ±3.07 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
Abstract:	Purpose – The search for quality food products is driven by cultural factors and behaviours referable to specific lifestyles which have changed greatly in recent years. This paper aims to investigate this issue by analyzing the attitudes, behaviours and knowledge concerning organic good in Italy. Design/methodology/approach – This study considers the food choices of a large sample of Italians by analyzing the relations among their attitudes, behaviours and knowledge concerning organic food. Findings – By means of the most recent Italian survey on the purchase of organic products, it was possible to identify various types of purchasing actors, verify their features and compare their preferences for conventional and organic products. The study demonstrates that their acceptance of organic products is strongly associated with behaviours that orientate different lifestyles among types of consumers. Moreover, a purchase simulation carried out on two kinds of food confirmed a marked willingness among consumers to accept higher costs in order to buy organic products. Originality/value – This paper has proposed an approach that can be used to determine the relation between the consumption of organic products and behaviours indicative of specific lifestyles by identifying and comparing various types of purchasers.