There are so many reasons to go organic: for your own health, the health of your family and the health of the environment. As more and more people are seeing the benefits of buying organic, companies that specialize in organic products are seeing significant increases in business.
Researchers at the Washington State University (WSU) College of Business recently released a paper exploring purchase intentions when people buy organic. In three related studies, they investigated the role that personal (ego-based) and socially altruistic motivation had in their selection.
The studies considered “self-focused” and “other-focused” messages and how these were prioritized in the decision to purchase organic foods. They found that the “other-focused” messages were more influential to subjects when buying organic, compared to buying non-organic, conventional products.
The paper summarizes, “findings indicate that while personal considerations are equally prevalent for conventional and green (including organic) purchase decisions, societal considerations play a more influential role for green/organic products.”
Ioannis Kareklas, marketing assistant professor at WSU and lead author of the paper says, “we propose that organic purchases are not just made with the intention of benefiting one’s self. Our paper provides evidence that advertising that highlights and addresses both personal (egoistic) and environmental (altruistic) concerns in tandem may be the most impactful in influencing consumer attitudes toward and intentions to purchase organic products.”
This paper illustrates a principle that many of us have long known: that the choice to buy organic products is more than just a choice for one’s own health – it is also a conscious choice for the health of our planet.
Not only do organic foods keep pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) out of our bodies, they are also grown and raised using sustainable farming practices, and do not introduce more chemical pesticides and fertilizers into our soil.
If the trend continues and more people become as concerned about our planet’s health as about our own when choosing which foods to grow and buy, perhaps some of the hazardous practices of conventional agriculture will have to change to keep up with consumer demand. Until then, choose organic when faced with the choice.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.foodnavigator.com/On-your-radar/Organics/Personal-and-social-concerns-motivate-organic-food-buyers-Study
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2325108
https://news.wsu.edu/2013/10/21/personal-and-social-concerns-motivate-organic-food-buyers-study-offers-tips-for-green-advertising-strategists/#.U0xrk_ldUo4
http://www.downtoearth.org/articles/2009-03/21/organic-food-good-you-and-environment
