The 2011 ASHS Annual Conference

When a consumer heads to a retail outlet to purchase fruit and vegetables, they are bombarded with a multitude of messages, such as price, quality, healthiness, and production practices.  Of all the messages used, perhaps the most enigmatic is the term “organic.”  Much research has been devoted to understanding how consumers feel about organic produce and if they will pay a price premium.  However, little attention has been paid to understanding what consumers perceive organic to mean.  This is especially true within Canada, especially in regards to differences between regions, ethnic heritage, and consumers living in a production area.  Overall results indicate that 83% of consumers believe organic implies “no synthetic pesticide use,” however, 29% believe that there are also “no natural pesticides used.”  Traditionally, natural pesticides are considered acceptable, however, about a third of respondents believe it does not imply organic.  This study uncovers the interesting dichotomy between what is accepted within production and perceived by consumers.  Also interesting is the perception of factors that are not usually thought of as organic, being perceived as organic.  For instance, 15% and 17% of respondents perceived “decreased miles to transport” and “produced locally” as a characteristic of organic, respectively.  In regards to comparisons across demographics, perceptions are quite consistent across regions, but beliefs about what organic exactly is are somewhat different between ethnic heritages and also between respondents living in and outside of a production area .  However, there is consistency across ethnic heritages associated with incorrect perceptions of organic.  Overall, this study allows for a better understanding of how “organic” is perceived by consumers and how those perceptions can be quite different from what is actually implied.