| The U.S. organic foods market is vast and growing; yet little is known about consumers' perceptions of organic food products. Such an understanding would help in the development of future organic nutrition education. This study was designed to provide an in-depth understanding of consumers' perceptions about: the term organic, the nature of organic foods, the extent to which consumers are willing to pay more for organic foods, and their knowledge about and confidence in the regulation of organic foods by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A stratified purposeful sample of consumers was drawn from a retail store in Holland, Michigan. The store was purposefully selected and the sample was stratified from the population that frequents this store. The conceptual framework was naturalistic inquiry. Data were collected through 6 focus groups of 2-5 participants each, and 4 in-depth interviews. Results showed that consumers believe organic foods are healthier for them, but the higher costs of these products can be a barrier to purchasing. Though none of the respondents had specific knowledge of USDA safety rules for organic food products, most lacked trust in the USDA and found organic labeling to be confusing. Recommendations for further research include a large quantitative study, where results may be more generalizable, and further exploration of consumer skepticism towards governmental agencies, lack of confidence in organic safety rules, and demographic variables shared by organic consumers. Implications for positive social change include increased awareness of the health benefits of organic foods for human and environmental health through the development of informed organic nutrition education. |
