Consumer behaviour towards. Organic Food Consumption in Hong Kong: An Empirical Study

Transcription

1 Consumer behaviour towards Organic Food Consumption in Hong Kong: An Empirical Study BY Lau Kwan Yi Marketing Option An Honours Degree Project Submitted to the School of Business in Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirement for the Degree of Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) Hong Kong Baptist University Hong Kong April 2009

2 Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge those who helped me in completing my honours project. To begin with, I would like to express my whole-hearted gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. David Ko, for his unfailing guidance and support. He has provided me with a lot of valuable advices and insightful feedback in the research process, so that I can complete this study smoothly. Secondly, I would like to thanks the Hong Kong Organic Centre, especially Miss Claudia Tsui, for their generosity and kindness in supplying me with precious information. Thanks must also be given to my friends for their kind support and help. Most importantly, I am indebted to my beloved family for their love and care. Page i

3 Abstract With the recent rise of concern in food safety and environmental protection, the organic food market in Hong Kong expands rapidly. Being free of chemical fertilizers, patricides and preservatives, organic food represent a type of food that can free people from the threat of food poisoning or any other harmful effects arising from excess or illegal uses of harmful chemical in food. The organic industry is considered new to Hong Kong, and there has not been any legal regulation on certifying standard of self-claimed organic food. In view of the imbalance between a rising need for organic food and little regulated organic certification system, this research attempts to investigate on the consumption of organic food in Hong Kong. Through examining the demographic characteristics of general public, attitude towards organic food, health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge, the study aims to identify associations between all these factors and the frequency in organic food consumption. For research design, both exploratory and descriptive researches were conducted in this study. Concerning methodology, the quota sampling method was adopted with the sample size of 330. To analyze the collected data, the statistical analysis of Statistical Package for Social Science was applied. Findings show that gender and presence of children in household have significant relationship with the organic food consumption. Positive relationships of attitude, health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge with the frequency of organic food consumption are proved. Surprisingly, age, education and income are found not related positively to consumption of organic food. Recommendations are then provided based on the findings. Marketing strategies can be formulated by targeting in groups of customers which have a higher consumption potential. The supply and production volume can be increased, so as to lower the selling price of organic food to a more competitive level which is not more than ¼ above conventional food price level. Distribution channels of organic food can be increased with supermarkets, health food stores and market as main development distribution network to match with consumers shopping behaviour. Larger quantity and larger variety of organic food can be obtained by local and over-border sourcing to broaden consumer base. A system of organic food certification can be introduced to aid identification of real organic products. Education should be blended well into marketing mix and be carried out in the aspect of health, environmental and organic knowledge to boost the special competitiveness in health maintenance, environmental protection and in rearing a more favourable attitude towards organic food. Page ii

4 Table of Contents Acknowledgement...i Abstract...ii 1. Introduction Background Definition of Organic Food Purpose of Research Organic Food Consumption in Hong Kong Research Objectives Literature Review Variables Influencing Consumption of Organic Food Demographic Factors Attitude Health Consciousness Environmental Concerns Organic Food Knowledge Proposed Framework and Hypotheses Methodology Research Design Sampling Plan and Sample Size Questionnaire Design Data Analysis Analysis and Findings Demographics Nutrient Content Usage Pattern Attitudes towards Organic Food General Attitudes towards Organic Food Relationship between Attitudes and Age Group Relationship between Attitudes and Gender Relationship between Attitudes and Education Level Relationship between Attitudes of Income Relationship between Attitudes of Presence of Children in household Health Consciousness Environmental Concerns Organic Food Knowledge Variables Affecting Frequency of Organic Food Consumption...27 Page iii

5 4.7.1 Relationship between Frequency and Age Relationship between Frequency and Gender Relationship between Frequency and Education Level Relationship between Frequency and Income Relationship between Frequency and Presence of Children in Household Relationship between Frequency and Attitude Relationship between Frequency and Health Consciousness Relationship between Frequency and Environmental Concerns Relationship between Frequency and Organic Food Knowledge Discussion Recommendations Strategies based on Demographics Strategies based on Consumption Pattern Strategies based on Attitude towards Organic Food Coping with limited availability, variety and selling locations Coping with difficulty in identifying real organic food and confusing labels Strategies based on Health Consciousness Strategies based on Environmental Concerns Strategies based on Organic Knowledge Limitations and Further Research Conclusion...44 References...45 Appendices...A1 Page iv

6 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Food consumption patterns are rapidly changing nowadays as a result of environmental issues, concern about the nutritional value of food and health issues. Issues such as quality and safety in food attract consumer interest in organic food that is free from pesticides and chemical residues (Childs and Polyzees, 1997; Zotos et al., 1999; Baltas, 2001; Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). Although the concept of "organic food" seems to be well known to many consumers (Roddy et al., 1996; Von Alvensleben, 1998), the proportion of consumers who purchase organic foods on a regular basis is low (Grunert, 1993; Wandel and Bugge, 1997; Roddy et al., 1996; Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). To better protect consumers from harmful and fake organic food, knowing the factors affecting consumers consumption of organic products is therefore important. Through investigation, the profile of buyers and non-buyers of organic products can be figured out. This can be very critical for designing organic food labeling certification, improving public health and enhancing the profitability of the food industry (Drichoutis et al., 2005). 1.2 Definition of Organic Food There is no common definition of organic due to the fact that different countries have different standard for products to be certified organic. In simplest words, organic Page 1

7 foods are minimally processed to maintain the integrity of the food without artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation. Organic products are obtained by processes friendly to the environment, by cultivation techniques that consider both the attributes of the final product and the production methods (Chinnici et al., 2002). Generally speaking, Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation (United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program, 2000). More than that, "organic" is not only a set of harmless agricultural production technique, its ultimate meaning behind is to respect the nature and life, pay attention to the conservation of the ecology to enhance environmental quality for future generations. 1.3 Purpose of Research With rising concern of health issues and food safety, many consumers have turned their site to organic products (Laroche et al., 2001). The increased consumers' interest in organic food has been attributed among others to the growing demand for food free from pesticides and chemical residues (Childs and Polyzees, 1997; Zotos et al., 1999; Baltas, 2001; Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). Page 2

8 Organic food promotes a balance of human, other living organisms and the nature. It also promotes no artificial preservatives and best maintain the originality of food. This prevents excess use harmful ingredients and thereby ensures health. The aim of the study is to gain knowledge about Hong Kong consumers' demographic characteristics, attitudes, health consciousness, environmental concerns, organic food knowledge and behaviour towards organic foods. From the research, the attitudes and purchase behaviour of organic food will be assessed. It will give organic food marketers a direction to improve the marketing strategies of their products. If organic food is consumed by more consumers, society can greatly benefit from a public and global health perspective (Wang et al., 1995). This results in a favourable situation benefiting the consumers, manufacturers as well as the whole society. 1.4 Organic Food Consumption in Hong Kong Following the worldwide trend, Hong Kong residents are becoming increasingly health conscious and tend to consume healthier and more nutritious. In a public opinion survey on customer behaviour (Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre, 2008), 90% of respondents have consumed organic products, showing a 30% increase while compared to a similar research done by the same organization in Demand for organic products for Hong Kong consumers is rising speedily. There are many researchers investigated the consumers attitudes towards organic Page 3

9 food but most of the empirical works on organic food are related to western regions like Canada (Barbara, 2008), America and Europe Makatouni, 2002; Verdurme et al., 2002, Baker et al., 2004; Zanoli and Naspetti, 2002). However, there is an inadequate study that focuses on the consumer behaviour in Hong Kong. To redress the imbalance, this study attempts to investigate consumer behaviour of organic food in Hong Kong. 1.5 Research Objectives The research objectives are summarized as follows: i. To figure out the consumption pattern of Hong Kong people for organic food. ii. To find out the attitudes towards organic food of the general public. iii. To find out the demographic characteristics, attitude, health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic knowledge level in relation to the frequency of organic food consumption. iv. To provide recommendations for marketers on how to improve the organic claims and formulate relevant strategies to attract potential consumers. In this paper, the term buyers will be used to refer for those who always, often or sometimes buy organic products, while non-buyers refer for those who never buy organic products. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Variables Influencing Consumption of Organic Food Page 4

10 A review of the literature on organic food consumption shows that several attempts have been made to examine consumers' perception of organic food, factors that have facilitated or prevented the organic food choice, consumers' attitudes, as well as reasons for purchase or non-purchase in many foreign countries Demographic Factors In particular, organic food buyers tend to be younger than non-buyers (Jolly, 1991). Age seems also to affect consumer attitudes towards organic food. Young people are more environmentally conscious but less willing to pay more due to their lower purchasing power, whereas older people are more health conscious and more willing to pay an extra price for organic food (Wandel and Bugge, 1997; Thompson and Kidwell, 1998; Von Alvensleben, 1998; Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). Women seem to be more interested in organics than men, and they are more frequent buyers than men (Davis et al., 1995; Wandel and Bugge, 1997). Overall, more positive attitudes towards organic food have been detected in women as opposed to men (Lea and Worsley, 2005). Education has also been reported as a significant factor affecting consumer attitudes towards organic food products. People with higher education are more likely to express positive attitudes towards organic products, require more information about the production and process methods of organics (Magnusson et al., 2001; Hill and Page 5

11 Lynchehaum, 2002; Wier et al., 2003), have the confidence to negotiate conflicting claims in relation to organic food (Padel and Foster, 2005), and are more willing to pay a premium for organic food (Jolly, 1991; Wandel and Bugge, 1997). Moreover, demand for organic food seems to be positively correlated to income (Von Alvensleben, 1998). Higher income households are more likely to form positive attitudes and to purchase more organic food (Grunert and Kristensen, 1991; Magnusson et al., 2001). However, income appears to affect mainly the quantity of organic products bought and not the general willingness to buy. Higher income households do not necessarily indicate higher likelihood of organic purchases. Some lower income segments seem to be more entrenched buyers (Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). The presence of children in the household has also been regarded as a significant factor, which positively influences consumers' organic food attitudes as well as buying behaviour (Davis et al., 1995; Thompson and Kidwell, 1998; Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002). However, children's age can be considered as a key factor, meaning that the higher the age of children in the household, the lower the propensity to buy organic food (Wier et al., 2003) Attitude The socio-demographic profile seems to affect consumer attitudes and buying behaviour towards organic food. Organic food attitudes are mainly influenced by gender, Page 6

12 age, income, level of education and the presence of children in the household (Davis et al., 1995; Wandel and Bugge, 1997; Thompson and Kidwell, 1998; Magnusson et al., 2001; Wier et al., 2003) Health Consciousness Health consciousness refers to the degree to which health concerns are integrated into a person s daily activities (Jayanti and Burns, 1998). Health consciousness is considered as a subjective intention or motivation to improve an individual s health. Past studies have shown that the most important reason for purchasing and consuming organic food appears to be health consciousness (Tregear et al., 1994; Huang, 1996; Schlegelmilch et al., 1996; Hutchins and Greenhalgh, 1997; Wandel and Bugge, 1997; Von Alvensleben, 1998; Magnusson et al., 2001; Squires et al., 2001, Padel and Foster, 2005) Environmental Concerns The consumers' level of ecological concern is related to their willingness to purchase green products (Amyx et al., 1994). Although it is not a priority issue, it also has significant effect in affecting consumption of organic products (Kristensen and Grunert, 1991; Tregear et al., 1994; Von Alvensleben, 1998; Schifferstein and Oude Ophuis, 1998). Organic products use environmental friendly ways to produce and process, people who Page 7

13 are more concern for the environment is proposed to have a positive effect on the purchase of organic products Organic Food Knowledge Organic knowledge refers to the extent to which consumers have enduring organic-related cognitive structures (Grunert and Grunert, 1995). Knowledge is proposed to have a positive effect on a person s perceived diet effectiveness and his or her consumption of organic products (Peter et al, 1999). In addition, knowledge is expected to have a negative effect on a person s skepticism level (Szykman et al., 1997). 2.2 Proposed Framework and Hypotheses With reference to the foregoing literature review and the extension of the work of Boutsouki et al. (2008) conceptual framework, a framework is proposed in Figure 1 to explain the consumption of organic products of Hong Kong consumers. The framework shows the hypothesized relationships among consumers demographic factors, attitude, health consciousness, environmental concerns, organic knowledge and consumption of organic products. Page 8

14 Figure 1: The Proposed Framework Demographic Factors H1 Attitude H3 a. Age b. Gender c. Education Level d. Income e. Presence of Children in household Health Consciousness Environmental Concerns H4 H5 Consumption of organic products Organic Food H6 Knowledge H2 The research hypotheses are as follows: H1: There is association between demographic factors and attitude. H1a: There is a negative relationship between age and attitude. H1b: There is a positive relationship between women and attitude. H1c: There is a positive relationship between education level and attitude. H1d: There is a positive relationship between income and attitude. H1e: There is a positive relationship between presence of children in household and attitude. H2: There is association between demographics factors and the frequency of organic food consumption. H2a: There is a negative relationship between age and the frequency of organic food Page 9

15 consumption. H2b: There is a positive relationship between women and the frequency of organic food consumption. H2c: There is a positive relationship between education level and the frequency of organic food consumption. H2d: There is a positive relationship between income and the frequency of organic food consumption. H2e: There is a positive relationship between presence of children in household and the frequency of organic food consumption. H3: There is a positive relationship between attitude and the frequency of organic food consumption. H4: There is a positive relationship between health consciousnesses and the frequency of organic food consumption. H5: There is a positive relationship between environmental concerns and the frequency of organic food consumption. H6: There is a positive relationship between organic food knowledge and the frequency of organic food consumption. 3. Methodology 3.1 Research Design Page 10

16 Both exploratory and descriptive researches were conducted in this study. For exploratory research, secondary data were collected from academic journals, the Internet and reference books. In terms of descriptive research, a questionnaire was structured and personal interviews were conducted to determine the attitudes and behaviour of consumers in Hong Kong towards organic food. 3.2 Sampling Plan and Sample Size As one of the research objectives is to compare the buyers and non-buyers group, the sample size formula for the estimation of proportion was applied (Malhotra, 2004). Based on a past research done in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre, 2005), the proportion of buyers is 30%. By substituting it into formula, the number can be obtained. Therefore, 330 questionnaires were distributed and the sample size should be large enough to minimize Type II error. In order to obtain the maximum socio-economic scattering of consumers characteristics, the quota sampling method was adopted as to follow the sampling plan of a similar study (Siu and Tsoi, 1998). Three districts, Wan Chai, Sha Tin and Sham Shui Po were selected as to represent the high income district, middle income district and low income district respectively. 110 questionnaires were distributed in each district. The respondent was selected from every three passed-by to avoid self-selection bias. 1 Assuming confidence level is 95% and standard error is 5%, therefore n=0.3*(1-0.7)* / = 323 Page 11

17 A pretest of questionnaire was conducted with 10 respondents prior to avoid ambiguous wording and inapplicable questions in the questionnaire. Also, the survey was completed through face-to-face interview in order to minimize misunderstanding of the questions. 3.3 Questionnaire Design A structured questionnaire will be used which employed with true-false questions, multiple-choice questions and Likert scale questions. Part 1 is aimed at identifying organic food buyers and non-buyers, and their consumer behaviour. Statements are extracted from 2 similar reports done in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Organic Resources Centre (2005, 2008). Part 2 consists of statements developed by previous research (Tsakiridou et al., 2008) to assess attitudes towards organic food. The statements are short listed and slightly modified from the original 23 statements to be better suit in gauging attitudes. In Part 3, a six-item Likert-type scale to measure health consciousness was adapted from Kraft and Goodell (1993) and expanded to 10 items with another research (Cheung, 2005) to examine personal health and diet. The ten-item Likert type scale to measure environmental consciousness was selected from Shepherd et al. (2005) and expanded based on the reference from the Green Power in Part 4. Page 12

18 In Part 5, 10 true or false questions is used to test knowledge of organic products with reference to the statements developed by the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (2008). A Do Not Know option is created to avoid unreliable answers. Finally, in Part 6, demographic information of gender, age, occupation, marital status, presence of children in household, members in household, income and educational level are collected. 3.4 Data Analysis To analyze the collected data, the statistical analysis of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was applied. Different data analysis methods are as follow: 1. Reliability Test was employed to determine the Cronbach s alpha of attitude towards organic food, health consciousness and environmental concerns. The resulting alpha coefficients of the three variables are 0.835, and respectively, which all above the minimum acceptable threshold of 0.7 suggested by Nunnally (1978). The reliability test is contained in Appendix 4.1 for reference. 2. Frequency counts and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the result of respondents. 3. Regarding attitudes towards organic food, One-way ANOVA was employed to find out the significant differences between each of the five demographic factors. 4. One-way ANOVA, independent sample T-test and Linear Regression were used to Page 13

19 examine the relationship between the independent variables (demographic factors, health consciousness, environmental concerns, organic food knowledge) and dependent variable (frequency of label usage). 5. Chi-square analysis and independent sample T-test were applied again to investigate the significant differences between users and non-users on their demographics, health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge. For all analysis, a probability level of <0.05 was considered significant. 4. Analysis and Findings 4.1 Demographics In this research, a total of 330 questionnaires were collected. A description of respondents demographic profile is shown in Table 1. The samples consist of 147 male (44.5%) and 183 female (55.5%). The age group constitutes the largest proportion of the sample with 122 respondents (37.0%), while 66 or above has the smallest number with 5 respondents (1.5%). Most of the respondents are well educated, with 174 of them (52.7%) having obtained at least higher education or above. In terms of occupation, students with 89 respondents have the biggest share (27.0%). In the sample, 152 respondents (46.4%) are married while 169 (51.2%) are single. 220 of the respondents (66.7%) live with their children and 112 (33.96%) has 4 members in a household. Besides, 125 respondents (37.9%) fall into the personal income Page 14

20 group of earning less than $5,000 per month. Yet, 138 respondents (41.9%) indicated that their family monthly income is more than $ In terms of organic food consumption frequency, 265 respondents (80.3%) claimed that they are buyers of organic food. Of those 252 users, the majority of respondents, with the number of 166 (50.3%) stated that they sometimes use the label, which indicate the consumption of organic food has not yet become a usual practice for general consumers. Table 1: Demographics profile of overall sample Variables Frequency % Frequency % Gender Male Female Age Education Marital Status Children in Household Members in Household Occupation Personal Monthly Income or above Primary or below Undergraduate Junior secondary school Postgraduate Senior secondary school Single Others Married Yes No > Executive/Manager Housewife Professionals Student Clerk Unemployed Service worker/salesperson Retired Labour Worker Self-employed Technician Others $30,000-$34, $35,000-$39, $10,000-$14, $40,000-$44, $15,000-$19, Page 15

21 $20,000-$24, $50,000 or above $25,000-$29, Total Family Monthly Income Frequency of Consumption Consumption of Organic Food $30,000-$34, $35,000-$39, $10,000-$14, $40,000-$44, $15,000-$19, $20,000-$24, $50,000 or above $25,000-$29, At least Once/week Seldom At least Once/month Never Once half a year Buyers Non-buyers Nutrient Content Usage Pattern 265 buyers were asked to identify their consumption pattern in organic food consumption. As shown in Table 2, 34.3% and 38.1% of the respondents indicated a past and future spending of $51-$200 respectively in organic food. Most buyers bought organic vegetables most often while 83.8% of the respondents shop for organic food in supermarkets. 41.1% respondents always read organic food labels when shopping for organic food. For the price premium consumers are willing to pay when compared with conventional food, 67.5% of the respondents are willing to pay a higher price for organic food. Table 2: Consumption Pattern of Organic Food Buyers Variables Frequency % Frequency % Past Spending on Organic Food $50 or below $501 - $ $51-$ $ $201-$ $1001or above Page 16

22 Planned Future $50 or below $501 - $ Spending on $51-$ $ Organic Food $201-$ $1001or above Type of Organic Vegetables Processed food Food Bought Fruits Raw Material Most Often Meat Shopping Place Health Food Markets for Organic Food Stores Supermarkets Stores Convenient Stores Others Frequency to Always Seldom Read Organic Usually Never Food Labels Sometimes Price Premium Willing to Pay (compared with conventional food) Negative /2 higher double /4 higher Attitudes towards Organic Food General Attitudes towards Organic Food Both buyers and non-buyers of organic food were asked about the attitudes towards organic food and the result is presented in Table 3. Generally speaking, the general public have a favourable attitude towards organic food (Mean = 3.18) while the buyers have a more favourable attitude (Mean = 3.24). Viewing organic food healthier scores the highest mean of The lowest means of 2.43, 2.48 and 2.49 are scored by the views that it is difficult to identify real organic products, organic products labels in the market are confusing and organic products are very expensive respectively. Table 3: Attitudes towards Organic Food Page 17

23 General Buyers Std. Std. Item Mean Deviation Mean Deviation 1. I am not interested in organics I prefer buying organics Organic products are safer and more reliable Organic products are of better quality Organic products are healthier Organic products taste better Organic products are of higher nutrition value Organic products are very expensive The packaging of organic products looks less pleasing to the eye The outlook of organic products is less attractive Organics are supreme products consumed only by rich people Consumption of organic products represents higher social status. 13. Not many organic products are available in the market There is a small variety of organic products There are a lot of selling locations for organic products It is difficult to identify real organic products The organic products labels in the market are confusing I trust organic products I trust organic producers Organics consumption helps protecting the environment Overall Mean Relationship between Attitudes and Age Group One-way ANOVA reveals statistically significant differences in attitudes towards organic food of different age groups. As shown in Table 4, 4.1 and 4.2, the figure (F=6.246, p<0.001) suggests different age group have significant difference in attitudes. The age group illustrate a more negative attitude than the age group and Page 18

24 36-45 while the groups and both indicate a more positive attitude than and The age group 66 or above has a more negative attitude with the lowest mean score of 2.81 when compared with the age group of the highest mean score of 3.3. Yet, the other pair groups have comparable frequency (p>0.05). There is no relationship between attitude and age group, hence, hypothesis H1a can be rejected (Appendix 4.2). Table 4: Descriptive statistics of Attitudes between Age Group Frequency Mean Std. Deviation or above Table 4.1: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Attitudes and Age Group Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 4.2: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Attitudes and Age Group (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig Page 19

25 66 or above or above Relationship between Attitudes and Gender To examine the significant difference between attitude and gender, Independent Sample T-test is applied in Table 5 and 5.1. Levene s Test for Equality of Variances p>0.05 means assumption of equal variances is met. The figure (t=-5.376, p<0.001) suggests there is a significant difference between attitude and gender. Female have a higher mean of 3.28 than that of mean with mean value Therefore, the hypothesis H1b is not rejected (Appendix 4.3). Table 5: Descriptive statistics of Attitudes between Genders Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Male Female Table 5.1: Independent Sample T-test for significant difference between Attitudes and Genders Levene's Test for Equality of t-test for Equality of Means Variances F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Equal variances assumed Equal variances not assumed Relationship between Attitudes and Education Level One-way ANOVA and Turkey Test are used to check the significant differences between attitudes and education level. The result is presented in Table 6, 6.1 and 6.2. The Page 20

26 figure (F=4.993, p=0.001) reveals different education levels differentiate themselves in attitudes. By the Turkey Test, the pairwise comparisons of the mean frequency shows that Education with primary or below has the lowest mean of 2.93 and has a more negative attitudes towards organic food when compared with senior secondary and undergraduate education. As the other pair groups have comparable frequency (p.>0.05) (Appendix 4.4), consumers education level is not positively related to attitudes towards organic food. Hypothesis H1c can therefore be rejected. Table 6: Descriptive statistics of Attitudes between Education Level Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Primary or below Junior secondary school Senior secondary school Undergraduate Postgraduate Table 6.1: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Attitudes and Education Level Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 6.2: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Attitudes and Education Level (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. Primary or below Senior secondary school Undergraduate Senior secondary school Primary or below Undergraduate Primary or below Relationship between Attitudes of Income Page 21

27 2 separate One-way ANOVAs and Turkey Tests are employed to investigate on significant difference between attitude and income including personal and family income respectively as shown in Table 7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4. For personal income, the outcome reveals a difference between groups (F=3.711, p<0.001). For the personal income group $40,000-$44,999, it has the highest mean of 3.82 that show a more favourable attitude towards organic food over the income group of, $5,000-$9,000, $10,000-$14,999 and $20,000-$24,999. As for family income, the statistic also shows a difference between groups (F=3.335, p<0.001). Both group of and $15,000-$19,000 have more negative attitude than the groups and $50,000 or above. While other pairs shows comparable results (p>0.05) (Appendix 4.5), it is proved that there is no relationship between attitude and income, hypothesis H1d is to be rejected. Table 7: Descriptive statistics of Attitudes between Income Personal Income Family Income Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Frequency Mean Std. Deviation $10,000-$14, $15,000-$19, $20,000-$24, $25,000-$29, $30,000-$34, $35,000-$39, $40,000-$44, $50,000 or above Page 22

28 Table 7.1: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Attitudes and Personal Income Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 7.2: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Attitudes and Personal Income (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. $40,000-$44, $40,000-$44, $10,000-$14,999 $40,000-$44, $20,000-$24,999 $40,000-$44, $40,000-$44, $10,000-$14, $20,000-$24, Table 7.3: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Attitudes and Family Income Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 7.4: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Attitudes and Family Income (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. $1,5000-$19,999 $50,000 or above $50,000 or above $50,000 or above $15,000-$19, $15,000-$19, Page 23

29 4.3.6 Relationship between Attitudes of Presence of Children in household To examine the significant difference of attitudes between presence of children in household, Independent Sample T-test is applied in Table 8 and 8.1. The result of Levene s Test for Equality of Variances (F=1.494, p>0.05) confirmed the assumption of equal variance. However, due to an insignificant test result (t=0.607, p>0.05), there is no relationship between attitudes and presence of children. Hypothesis H1e is there fore rejected (Appendix 4.6). Table 8: Descriptive statistics of Attitudes between Presence of Children Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Yes No Table 8.1: Independent Sample T-test for significant difference between Attitudes and Presence of Children Levene's Test for Equality of t-test for Equality of Means Variances F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Equal cariances assumed Equal variances not assumed Health Consciousness Overall, the mean score of health consciousness is 3.62, which shows a fair level in health and diet of Hong Kong people as shown in Table 9. The item I worry that there are harmful chemicals in my food has the highest mean of 3.93, reflecting a rise of concern in food safety. Page 24

30 Table 9: Descriptive statistic of Health Consciousness Item Mean Std. Deviation 1. I worry that there are harmful chemicals in my food I always avoid eating foods with additives and preservatives I am concerned about my drinking water quality I usually read the ingredients on food labels I read more health-related articles than I did 3 years ago I am interested in information about my health I always eat fresh and healthy foods, e.g. fruits, vegetables, etc I am concerned about my health all the time I always pay attention to a balanced diet I always avoid eating snacks Overall mean Environmental Concerns The mean score of environmental concerns is 3.44, which shows a fair to favourable level of environmental concerns as shown in Table 10. The item I use double sides of a paper before throwing it away or taking it recycled scores the highest mean of 3.98 while the item I avoid purchasing products in environmental unfriendly packages and I prefer to buy environmental friendly labeled products both have the lowest mean score of Table 10: Descriptive statistics of Environmental Concerns Std. Item Mean Deviation 1. I avoid purchasing products in environmental unfriendly packages I always save energy I prefer to buy environmental friendly labeled products I always recycle plastic bottles and newspaper etc I use double sides of a paper before throwing it away or taking it recycled Page 25

31 6. I bring my shopping bag when I go shopping I always donate things I do not need (like electric appliances, computers, toys, clothes) to the charity. 8. I always avoid using disposable tableware Overall Mean Organic Food Knowledge The knowledge variable is based on ten true or false questions. For each question a correct answer was assigned a 1 and a wrong answer was assigned a 0, giving a total score between 0 and 10 for each respondent. The distribution of score and the percentage of correct responses for each question are presented in Table 11 and 12. The average score is 4.98, showing a fair level of organic food knowledge among the respondents. Table 11: Scores of Organic Food Knowledge Score Frequency % Overall Mean = 4.98 Table 12: Percentage of correct responses for each organic food question Item (Notes: Correct answers are written in blankets) % 1. Organic production does not apply chemical pesticides and fertilizers. (True) Organic food is not natural products. (False) Organic food involves genetic modification. (False) Organic food has higher nutrition content than conventional food. (False) We can judge if a product is organic or not by its outlook appearance. (False) There is no preservative in organic food. (True) Organic farming use animal excretion as fertilizers. (False) ISO9001 (Product management certification) is organic certification. (False) Real organic products can only be bought in large supermarkets, department stores or organic food stores. (False) Only those products with organic-certified labels are real organic products. (True) 39.7 Page 26

32 4.7 Variables Affecting Frequency of Organic Food Consumption Relationship between Frequency and Age Referring to Table 13, 13.1 and 13.2, One-way ANOVA shows statistically significant differences in frequency of organic food consumption of different age groups. The figure (F=12.967, p<0.001) reveals different age groups have difference in frequency. Through the Turkey s Honestly Significant Difference test, it compares all pairs of group means without increasing the risk of making a Type I error. The result shows that the youngest age group with the second lowest frequency mean of 1.96 and the oldest group with the lowest frequency mean of 1.00 both portraits a significant lower frequency in organic food consumption than the two groups with highest frequency mean (26-35, mean=2.87; 36-45, mean=3.15). The age group with the highest frequency mean of 3.15 also reveals a higher frequency over the (mean=2.43) and (mean=2.25) age group. Yet, not all pair groups are able to attain a significant frequency (p>0.05) (Appendix 4.7). Therefore, consumers age is not positively related to the frequency of organic food consumption and hypothesis H2a can be rejected. Table 13: Descriptive statistics of Frequency between Age Group Frequency Mean Std. Deviation or above Page 27

33 Table 13.1: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Frequency and Age Group Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 4.2: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Frequency and Age Group (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig or above or above or above Relationship between Frequency and Gender To examine the significant difference of frequency of organic food consumption between genders, Independent Sample T-test is applied in Table 14 and Levene s Test for Equality of Variances p<0.001 means the equal variances are not assumed. The T-test result (t=-2.675, p<0.01) suggests there is a moderate difference between frequency and gender. Female have a higher mean in frequency than male do (Mean of Male=2.61, Mean of Female=2.25) Therefore, hypothesis H2b is not rejected (Appendix 4.8). Table 14: Descriptive statistics of Frequency between Genders Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Page 28

34 Male Female Table 14.1: Independent Sample T-test for significant difference between Frequency and Genders Levene's Test for Equality of t-test for Equality of Means Variances F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Equal cariances assumed Equal variances not assumed Relationship between Frequency and Education Level One-way ANOVA and Turkey Test are used to check the significant differences in frequency of label usage of different education level and the result is presented in Table 15, 15.1 and The figure (F=3.966, p<0.01) reveals different education levels have different frequency in consumption of organic food. By the Turkey Test, the pairwise comparisons of the mean frequency indicated that senior secondary education has a higher frequency than education of primary of below level (Mean difference=0.923, p=0.002) and undergraduate level (Mean difference=0.47, p=0.48) As not all pairs shows significant results (p<0.05), it is proved that there is no relationship between frequency and education level, hypothesis H2c is to be rejected (Appendix 4.9). Table 15: Descriptive statistics of Frequency between Education Level Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Primary or below Junior secondary school Senior secondary school Page 29

35 Undergraduate Postgraduate Table 15.1: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Frequency and Education Level Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 15.2: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Frequency and Education Level (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. Primary or below Senior secondary school Senior secondary school Primary or below Undergraduate Undergraduate Primary or below Relationship between Frequency and Income Both personal income and family income are investigated by employing 2 separate One-way ANOVAs and Turkey Tests respectively on significant difference in Table 16, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3 and For personal income, the outcome reveals a difference between groups (F=3.711, p<0.001). The 3 highest income groups ($40,000-$44,999, $35,000-$39,999, $30,000-$34,999) all pose a higher frequency over the 2 lowest income groups (, ) while the group $40,000-$44,999 has a higher frequency over groups below personal monthly income level of $25,000. As for family income, the statistic also shows a difference between groups (F=4.999, p<0.001). The group $45,000-$49,000 stances a higher frequency across all groups below Page 30

36 the family monthly income level of $30,000. The highest income level group also poses a higher frequency over groups, $15,000-$19,999 and $20,000-$24,999. Since not all pairs shows significant results (p<0.05), it is proved that there is no relationship between frequency and income, hypothesis H2d is rejected (Appendix 4.10). Table 16: Descriptive statistics of Frequency between Income Personal Income Family Income Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Frequency Mean Std. Deviation $10,000-$14, $1,5000-$ $20,000-$24, $25,000-$29, $30,000-$34, $35,000-$39, $40,000-$44, $50,000 or above Table 16.1: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Frequency and Personal Income Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 16.2: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Frequency and Personal Income (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig. $10,000-$14, $25,000-$29, $35,000-$39, $40,000-$44, Page 31

37 $25,000-$29, $35,000-$39, $40,000-$44, $10,000-$14, $40,000-$44, $15,000-$19,999 $40,000-$44, $20,000-$24,999 $40,000-$44, $25,000-$29, $30,000-$34,999 $40,000-$44, $35,000-$39, $40,000-$44, $10,000-$14, $1,5000-$ $20,000-$24, $30,000-$34, Table 16.3: Result of One-Way ANOVA for significant differences between Frequency and Family Income Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig Between Groups Within Groups Total Table 16.4: Result of Turkey Test for significant differences between Frequency and Family Income (I) Age (J) Age Mean Difference (I-J) Std. Error Sig $50,000 or above $10,000-$14, $15,000-$19,999 $40,000-$44, Page 32

38 $50,000 or above $20,000-$24, $50,000 or above $25,000-$29, $40,000-$44,999 $15,000-$19, $10,000-$14, $15,000-$19, $20,000-$24, $25,000-$29, $50,000 or above $1,5000-$ $20,000-$24, Relationship between Frequency and Presence of Children in Household Independent Sample T-test is applied to examine the significant difference between frequency and the presence of children in a household. In Table 17 and 17.1, Levene's Test for Equality of Variances <0.001 means the variances are not equal. The result (t =2.453, p<0.05) shows that there is a mild difference between frequency and presence of children in household. Thus, hypothesis H2e is not rejected (Appendix 4.11). Table 17: Descriptive statistics for Frequency between Presence of Children Frequency Mean Std. Deviation Yes No Table 17.1: Independent Sample T-test for significant difference between Frequency and Presence of Children Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Equal variances assumed Page 33

39 Equal variances not assumed Relationship between Frequency and Attitude Linear Regression is used to test the relationship between frequency of organic food consumption and attitude and the result is presented in Table 18. The estimated slope (B=1.954, p<0.001) and the adjusted R of indicate a strong positive relationship between the two variables. The hypothesis H3 is therefore supported and cannot be rejected (Appendix 4.12). Table 18: Linear regression of Frequency and Attitude Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients B Std. Error Beta t Sig. Constant Attitude Adjusted R Square = Relationship between Frequency and Health Consciousness Referring to Table 19, Linear Regression is applied to test the relationship between frequency and health consciousness. The estimated slope (B=0.941, p<0.001) and the adjusted R reflects a fair positive relationship between frequency and health consciousness. Therefore, hypothesis H4 cannot be rejected (Appendix 4.13). Table 19: Linear regression of Frequency and Health Consciousness Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients B Std. Error Beta t Sig. Constant Health Consciousness Adjusted R Square = Page 34

40 4.7.8 Relationship between Frequency and Environmental Concerns Again, Linear Regression is employed in testing the relationship between frequency and environmental concerns as shown in Table 20. The estimated slope (B=0.740, p<0.001) and the adjusted R reflects a fair positive relationship between frequency and environmental concerns. Thus, hypothesis H5 cannot be rejected (Appendix 4.14). Table 20: Linear regression of Frequency and Environmental Concerns Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients B Std. Error Beta t Sig. Constant Environmental Adjusted R Square = Relationship between Frequency and Organic Food Knowledge Relationship between frequency of organic food consumption and organic food knowledge is tested by Linear Regression in Table 21. The estimated slope (B=0.261, p<0.001) and the adjusted R shows a moderate positive relationship between frequency and knowledge. Hence, hypothesis H6 cannot be rejected (Appendix 4.15). Table 21: Linear regression of Frequency and Organic Food Knowledge Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients B Std. Error Beta t Sig. Constant Knowledge Adjusted R Square = Page 35

41 5. Discussion The majority of the respondents have a positive attitude towards organic food. However, over 50% of them indicated that they seldom consume organic food. Despite the fact that a portion of the consumers claimed that they will spend more on organic food in the future, most of them spent only $51-$200 on organic food in a year, which reflect organic food, still, as a niche market in Hong Kong. The socio-demographic profile of organic food buyers are revealed as women buying more frequently then men. Although age is not an important factor, consumers aged between shows the highest frequency in the consumption of organic products (Davis et al., 1995). It was explained by some studies that although younger consumers has a higher willingness to buy due to their greater environmental concerns, they cannot always afford it, and therefore being replaced by the mid-age group who has higher financial power (Fotopoulos and Krystallis, 2002, Baker et al., 2002, Solomon et al., 1999). Households with the presence of children are also found to consume organic food more often. The reason behind may be perceived as a higher level of concern in food safety with the presence of children, especially for women. As expected, people who are more health conscious, environmental friendly and have higher level of organic food knowledge are also confirmed to purchase organic food more frequently. The item I worry that there are harmful chemicals in my food has the Page 36

42 highest mean value of 3.93 in the health consciousness scale implies a general high awareness in the threat of food safety. Together with the 3 highest-mean-valued attitudes of organic food of being healthier, safer and more reliable and are of higher quality, an opportunity in the expansion and raise of the organic food market can be seen. In term of price premium, nearly 70% of the consumers denoted a willingness to pay a premium for organic food. Among them, the most bearable price premium is evaluated at a 1/4 price level higher than non-organic conventional food. All these seem contradictory to the phenomenon that organic food is surprisingly consumed at a low frequency level. The reason behind can possibly be explained by some of the findings of the survey. Among the attitudes towards organic food, the statements it is difficult to identify real organic products, organic products labels in the market are confusing and organic products are very expensive scored the lowest in mean values. They can be interpreted as the main reasons failing organic products in becoming popular, which coincide with rationalizations in past researches (Dent and McGregor 1994, An Bord Glas 1991, Stopes and Woodward 1988, Dixon and Holmes 1987, von Alvensleben and Altmann 1987). This suggests a space for development or improvement in areas of price competitiveness and organic food labeling certification. Other negative attitudes towards organic food include few organic products available in the market, small variety of organic products and few selling locations for organic Page 37

43 products. These negative attitudes act as barriers for consumption of organic products (An Bord Glas 1991, Stopes and Woodward 1988; Jolly et al. 1989). While talking about the difficulty in identifying real organic food products and labels, the study about organic knowledge brings a lack of knowledge on organic food into light. The average score of 4.98 out of 10 reveals lack adequate information in identifying real organic food products and labels. Over 70% of the respondents mixed up the product management certification ISO9001 with organic certification and did not know that organic-certified labels represent real organic products. There is also a serious misunderstanding about a higher nutrition content and the use of animal excretion as fertilizers in organic food which are both actually false. Past studies have pointed out that such a misunderstanding in organic ways of production will prevent consumers from buying organic food (Verdurme et al., 2002, Worner and Meier-Ploeger, 1999) In environmental aspect, the overall mean of environmental concerns is 3.44 which represent a fair to moderate level of environmental concerns of the general public. The same association has been captured by Fotopoulos and Krystallis (2002). However, it is generally recognized that there are also numerous barriers to the diffusion of environmentally friendly products, like organic food, despite the green trend in consumer values and attitudes. The most common barriers stressed in the marketing literature include consumer's reluctance to pay higher costs, both in terms of money and in time and Page 38

44 effort, their skepticism regarding the higher quality of these products (Vindigni et al., 2002) and the lack of availability of these products (Lea and Worsley, 2005). Therefore, marketing should be carefully handled to avoid collision of such barriers. 6. Recommendations 6.1 Strategies based on Demographics As discovered in the survey, female and households with children are more likely to consume organic products. These two groups therefore have a bigger potential as the major consumption group and can be identified as target customers. A marketing mix could focus on these groups and investigate in any special needs in the groups. As female consumers are becoming more needy for detail information and knowledge about organic facts and benefits, in terms of advertising, for example, rational appeals should be used instead of emotional appeals in order to enhance the rate of return. Likewise, when designing advertisement and packaging of products, more feminine designs, like more use of warm colours, will be more appealing to the target group customers. 6.2 Strategies based on Consumption Pattern According to the survey, a majority of the consumers take a price 1/4 higher than non-organic conventional food. This can act as a reference when organic food marketers develop their pricing strategies. As a matter of fact, organic products do require a higher production cost due to more intensive farming, slower crops growth and less government Page 39

45 subsidies which pose an understandable difficulty in drawing down the prices. Therefore, in long term, development of local organic agriculture could be encouraged to increase production volumes of organic products. More organic food could also be imported from China or overseas in order to decrease the price by driving up the supply, thereby attracting more customers. 6.3 Strategies based on Attitude towards Organic Food As mentioned before, negative attitudes towards organic food other than prices are limited availability, limited variety, limited selling locations, difficulty in identifying real organic products and confusing organic products labels Coping with limited availability, variety and selling locations Selling locations and distribution channels could be increased and broadened, so that the increase in convenience could attract both buyers and noon-buyers of organic food. By increasing the production volume or supply of more variety organic food as mentioned, not only the price could be reduced, selling locations could also be directly or indirectly increased. Further, the pattern of distribution channels could also be changed. As supermarkets, health food stores and markets occupied a large share as organic food shopping points, emphasis should be placed in these 3 channels, especially supermarket as it is the most often shopping place for consumers. More organic food, especially vegetables and fruits, Page 40

46 should also be directed to markets in order to absorb a broader consumption group Coping with difficulty in identifying real organic food and confusing labels The difficulty and confusion reflect a cluttered organic food labeling and certification system. Need for an independent and standardized organic labeling system is clearly indicated. This calls for cooperation and aids from local and international governments. Organic food marketers should encourage the government to propose legal standard on organic food certification in order to protect health of the general public. In shorter term, organic food marketers could educate the public about certified labels by means of advertisements or promotion such as TV advertisements. 6.4 Strategies based on Health Consciousness Since consumers are increasingly aware of the threat of harmful additives and food safety, organic food provide a safe and reliable way to eat healthy. Aspects like safe, and healthy should be stressed in packaging, brand image development and advertising to draw favourable attitude towards the brand or products. Moreover, efforts in educating consumers about health awareness can foster more favourable attitude and consumption for organic food. To do this, food marketers should work together with the Government for developing promotional campaigns to influence consumers beliefs about the relationship between food safety and disease. The promotional campaign can be in different forms, depending on the target audience. Page 41

47 6.5 Strategies based on Environmental Concerns Being a part of green food, environmental friendliness is advised to be maintained when establishing brand image and formulating marketing mix. For example, the packaging of food is advised to be environmental friendly, with less excessive packaging to maintain a consistent image and impression for the product. More than that a type of food, "organic" is not only a set of harmless agricultural production technique, but a more important idea behind to protect the environmental and create a mutual beneficial living environment for both nature and man. During marketing, marketers can stress the importance in this aspect by means of education and promotion, so that consumers will one day consider their social responsibility in environmental protection. 6.6 Strategies based on Organic Knowledge The framework reinforces the basic notion that, to increase consumers use of nutrition label, policy can focus on education about health knowledge. Educational programmes targeted at increasing levels of diet-disease knowledge can be effective in teaching consumers that diet-related diseases may be preventable. This, in run, may lead to healthier eating habits (Szykman et al., 1997). To increase the nutrition knowledge, the food sector can cooperate with the Government and public organizations to produce brochures, campaigns and TV Page 42

48 programmes for the general public. In addition, compulsory nutrition class and seminars can be provided by schools to target the students. The younger they learn about nutrition, the more benefits of healthy food choices they can enjoy. 7. Limitations and Further Research This exploratory study provides some valuable information on attitudes and frequency of organic food consumption, yet several questions remain unanswered. First, due to cost limitation and time constraint, the study has placed emphasis on isolating the role of health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge on organic food consumption apart from the role of demographic characteristics in affecting them. As the variables are examined separately, estimates linking demographic factors with organic food consumption without controlling for health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge into account may not be accurate. The study has also focus on the role of demographics in affecting attitude but exclude other factors such as health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge. This search focuses on demographics variables, health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge in relation to the frequency of organic food consumption. However, it may have ignored other possible factors like consumers Page 43

49 skepticism, psychographic variables, health status, cost of information search, etc. Besides, an experimental nature of study may provide a broader scope of understanding. Knowing the characteristics of individuals who purchase organic food is a critical part of the organic food consumption analysis. Yet, a key question still remains as to why customers buy or not buy organic food. In the study, attitude is used as a way to interpreter the reason behind, but it is not reliable as it is only a perception based on findings. Further research should extend this study and determine the factors influencing consumers purchase decision. 8. Conclusion All in all, this study provides a preliminary analysis of the proposed framework that underlies the consumption of organic food. Interestingly, age, education and income are proved for not having a positive relationship with consumption of organic food. A significant difference between gender and the organic food consumption is found. Positive relationships among organic food consumption frequency and four aspects are established, namely attitude, health consciousness, environmental concerns and organic food knowledge. Findings in this study help marketers and government to develop specific strategies for organic food customers and provide insights and directions for future research. Page 44

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54 Appendices Appendix 1: Questionnaire on Organic Food Consumption English Version Questionnaire No: Date / Time: / Venue: SSP / ST / WC A Questionnaire on Organic Food Consumption Hello! I am a Year 3 student from the Hong Kong Baptist University majoring in Marketing. I am now conducting a research project about organic food consumption in Hong Kong. Please spare 5-10 minutes to fill in this questionnaire. All your information given will be used for academic purpose only. Here, I would like to express my gratitude for your help. Part 1 The following statements measure your consumption of organic food. Please tick the appropriate box(es). 1. Have you ever heard of the term organic food? Yes No (End of questionnaire, thank you) 2. How often do you purchase organic food? At least once/week At least once/month Once half a year Seldom Never (Please jump to Part 2) 3. In the past year, how much do you and your family spend on organic food monthly? $50 or below $51 - $200 $201 - $500 $501 - $700 $701 $1000 $1001or above 4. In the coming year, how much will you and your family spend on organic food? $50 or below $51 - $200 $201 - $500 $501 - $700 $701 $1000 $1001or above 5. Which type of organic food do you and your family buy most often? Organic vegetables (e.g. Chinese cabbage, botany) Organic fruits (e.g. apples, oranges) Page A1

55 Organic meat (e.g. chicken, beef) Processed organic food (e.g. coffee, biscuits) Organic raw materials (e.g. sugar, flour) 6. Where is the shopping place that you go most often when you buy organic food? (You may choose more than one item.) Markets Supermarkets Convenient stores Health food shops Stores Others: 7. How often do you pay attention to information on food labels on food products if you need to purchase organic food? Always Usually Often Seldom Never 8. When compared with the price of conventional food, what is the maximum level you are willing to spend on organic food? When organic food is cheaper than conventional food When organic food and conventional food are priced the same When organic food is priced 1/4 higher than conventional food When organic food is priced half way higher than conventional food When organic food is priced double than conventional food Part 2 The following statements describe your attitudes towards organic food. Please indicate your agreeableness on a five-point scale with 1 representing strongly disagree and 5 representing strongly agree. Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree 1. I am not interested in organics I prefer buying organics Organic products are safer and more reliable Organic products are of better quality Organic products are healthier Organic products taste better Organic products are of higher nutrition Page A2

56 value. 8. Organic products are very expensive The packaging of organic products looks less pleasing to the eye The outlook of organic products is less attractive Organics are supreme products consumed only by rich people Consumption of organic products represents higher social status Not many organic products are available in the market There is a small variety of organic products There are a lot of selling locations for organic products It is difficult to identify real organic products The organic products labels in the market are confusing I trust organic products I trust organic producers Organics consumption helps protecting the environment Part 3 The following statements describe your personal opinions about health consciousness. Please indicate your agreeableness on a five-point scale with 1 representing strongly disagree and 5 representing strongly agree. Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Disagree Agree 1. I worry that there are harmful chemicals in my food I always avoid eating foods with additives and preservatives I am concerned about my drinking water Page A3

57 quality. 4. I usually read the ingredients on food labels I read more health-related articles than I did 3 years ago I am interested in information about my health I always eat fresh and healthy foods, e.g. fruits, vegetables, etc I am concerned about my health all the time I always pay attention to a balanced diet I always avoid eating snacks Part 4 The following statements describe your behaviour on environmental friendliness. Please indicate your agreeableness on a five-point scale with 1 representing strongly disagree and 5 representing strongly agree. Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Disagree Agree 1. I avoid purchasing products in environmental unfriendly packages I always save energy I prefer to buy environmental friendly labeled products I always recycle plastic bottles and newspaper etc I use double sides of a paper before throwing it away or taking it recycled I bring my shopping bag when I go shopping I always donate things I do not need (like electric appliances, computers, toys, clothes) to the charity. 8. I always avoid using disposable tableware Page A4

58 Part 5 Please answer the following questions about nutrition and food products according to your knowledge. Please put a tick in the corresponding box. 1. Organic production does not apply chemical pesticides and fertilizers. 2. Organic food is not natural products. 3. Organic food involves genetic modification. 4. Organic food has higher nutrition content than conventional food. 5. We can judge if a product is organic or not by its outlook appearance. 6. There is no preservative in organic food. 7. Organic farming use faeces as fertilizers. 8. ISO9001 (Product management certification) is organic certification. 9. Real organic products can only be bought in large supermarkets, department stores or organic food stores. 10. Only those products with organic-certified labels are real organic products. True False Do Not Know Part 6 Personal Information Gender Male Female Age or above Education Level Primary or below Junior secondary school (S1-S3) Senior secondary school (S4-S7) Undergraduate Page A5

59 Postgraduate Marital Status Single Married Others Children in a Yes No Household Members in a Household 4 5 >5 Occupation Executive / Manager Professionals Clerk Service worker / Salesperson Labour Worker Technician Housewife Student Unemployed Retired Self-employed Others Personal Monthly Income $10,000-$14,999 $15,000-$19,999 $20,000-$24,999 $25,000-$29,999 $30,000-$34,999 $35,000-$39,999 $40,000-$44,999 $50,000 or above Total Family Monthly Income $10,000-$14,999 $15,000-$19,999 $20,000-$24,999 $25,000-$29,999 $30,000-$34,999 $35,000-$39,999 $40,000-$44,999 $50,000 or above This is the end of the questionnaire. Thank you! Page A6

60 Appendix 2: Questionnaire on Organic Food Consumption Chinese Version 問卷編號 : 日期 / 時間 : / 地點 : SSP / ST / WC 有機食品消費市場問卷調查 你好, 本人為香港浸會大學市場學系三年級的學生, 現正進行一項有關香港有機 食物消費者市場的研究 希望你可以花 5-10 分鐘完成以下問卷, 閣下所提供的 資料將絕對保密及只供學術用途 在此先感謝你的幫忙 第一部分以下問題用作量度你對有機食品的消費習慣對有機食品的消費習慣 請選取合適的方格並填上 號 1. 請問你有沒有聽過 有機食品? 有 沒有 ( 問卷完, 謝謝!) 2. 你購買有機食品的頻率為 : 每星期最少一次 每月最少一次 半年一次 偶爾一次 從不 ( 跳到第二部份 ) 3. 在過去一年裡面, 你和你的家人每個月平均花多少錢去購買有機食品? $50 或以下 $51 - $200 $201 - $500 $501 - $700 $701 - $1000 $1001 或以上 4. 在未來一年, 你和你的家人願意每個月花多少錢去購買有機食品? $50 或以下 $51 - $200 $201 - $500 $501 - $700 $701 - $1000 $1001 或以上 5. 你和你的家人最常購買哪一類型的有機食品? 有機蔬菜 ( 如菜心 白菜等 ) 有機水果 ( 如蘋果 橙等 ) 有機肉類 ( 如雞肉 牛肉等 ) 有機加工制成品 ( 如咖啡 餅乾等 ) 有機食品原料 ( 如糖 麵粉等 ) 6. 當你購買有機食品, 你會最常去哪一個地方購買呢? ( 可選多項 ) 街市 超級市場 便利店 健康食品店舖 士多 其他 : Page A7

61 7. 假如你要選購有機食品, 你留意食物標籤的資料的頻率是 : 經常留意 有時 間中 甚少 完全不會留意 8. 與一般食品的價錢比較, 你對有機食品所能承受的價格是? 只有當有機食品比一般食品便宜時 當有機食品與一般食品價錢相同時 即使有機食品比一般食品貴四分之一, 我也願意花錢在有機食品上 即使有機食品比一般食品貴一半, 我也願意花錢在有機食品上 即使有機食品比一般食品貴一倍, 我也願意花錢在有機食品上 第二部分以下描述一些你對你對有機食品的有機食品的態度, 請就你對它們的同意程度給予分數 1 表示非常不同意,5 表示非常同意 非常不 不同意 中立 同意 非常 同意同意 21. 我對有機食品不感興趣 我更願意購買有機食品 有機食品比較安全可靠 有機食品的食品質素數較高 有機食品比較健康 有機食品味道較佳 有機食品的營養價值較高 有機食品價錢很貴 有機食品的包裝不及一般食品美觀 有機食品的外貌不及一般食品吸引 有機食品只是有錢人的高級食品 選購有機食品代表有更高的社會地位 市面上沒有大量有機食品可供選購 市面上的有機食品只有很少種類可供選購 市面上有很多銷售點可供選購有機食品 分辨真正有機的食品很困難 Page A8

62 37. 市面上不同的有機標籤令我感到困惑 我對有機食品充滿信心 我對有機食品的製造商充滿信心 選購有機食品有助保護環境 第三部分以下描述一些你對個人健康的關注程度, 請就你對它們的同意程度給予分數 1 表示非常不同意,5 表示非常同意 非常不 不同意 中立 同意 非常 同意同意 7. 我擔心我的食物內有有害的化學物質 我時常避免進食含有添加劑及防腐劑的食物 我關注我的食水質素 我經常閱讀食物標籤上的成份 我比三年前閱讀了更多與健康有關的文章 我對有關我健康的資訊感興趣 我常進食健康食物, 如水果 蔬菜等 我時常關注我的健康 我時常注重均衡飲食 我時常避免進食零食 第四部分以下描述一些你對環境保護的關注程度, 請就你對它們的同意程度給予分數 1 表示非常不同意,5 表示非常同意 非常不 不同意 中立 同意 非常 同意同意 9. 我時常避免購買獨立包裝或過度包裝的物品 我時常節約能源 我會選擇購買印有環保標籤的產品 我時常把膠樽 報紙等廢物循環再造 Page A9

63 13. 我會利用紙張兩面, 然後才會棄掉或回收 購物時自備購物袋 我時常將不適用的電器 電腦 玩具及衣物等, 捐給慈善團體 我經常避免使用即棄餐具 第五部分以下描述一些有機食品及有機標籤的問題, 請就你對他們的認識, 在合適的方格並填上 號 11. 有機生產不使用化學農藥及肥料 12. 有機產品不是天然產品 13. 有機產品有基因改造成份 14. 有機食品的營養價值較一般食品高 15. 我們可以從外觀分辨一件產品是否有機 16. 有機食品不含防腐劑 17. 有機耕種使用糞便施肥 18. ISO9001 ( 品質管理認證 ) 是有機認證 19. 只有在大型超級市場 百貨公司或有機食品店舖才可以購買到真正有機的食品 20. 只有印有有機認證標誌的產品, 才是有機產品 正確 錯誤 不知道 第六部分個人資料 性別 男 女 年齡 或以上 教育水平 小學或以下程度 初中 ( 中一至中三 ) 高中 ( 中四至中七 ) 專上 / 大學程度 研究生或以上程度 Page A10

64 婚姻狀況 未婚 已婚 其他 同住子女 有 沒有 同住家庭成員 數目 ( 包括自己 ) 4 5 >5 職業 行政人員 / 經理 專業人士 文職人員 服務業從業員 / 售貨員 勞動工人 技術人員 家庭主婦 學生 待業人士 退休人士 自僱人士 其他 個人平均 $5,000 以下 每月收入 $10,000-$14,999 $15,000-$19,999 $20,000-$24,999 $25,000-$29,999 $30,000-$34,999 $35,000-$39,999 $40,000-$44,999 $50,000 或以上 家庭平均 $5,000 以下 每月收入 $10,000-$14,999 $15,000-$19,999 $20,000-$24,999 $25,000-$29,999 $30,000-$34,999 $35,000-$39,999 $40,000-$44,999 $50,000 或以上 問卷完結, 謝謝你的幫忙! Page A11

65 Appendix 3: Pictures of Nutrition Label Page A12

66 Page A13

67 . Page A14