TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)-- Florida State University researchers have released a study showing why consumers purchase organic foods.
Hyunjoo Lee, an assistant professor in the Department of Retail, Merchandising and Product Development, found that consumers make their grocery decisions on a variety of factors, including nutritional content, natural content, ecological welfare, price and attitudes.
According to the study, Lee says consumers bought organic foods because of their nutritional content and the environmental impact of the food, not because of it's natural content or its quality. He also found that the biggest deterrence in buying organic food is the price.
Organic food sales only constituted about 4 percent of total U.S. food sales in 2010, and Lee thinks the research is an important tool in helping farmers and food retailers increase their reach in the market.
"When you are planning the marketing strategy for companies or organic farmers you can consider this type of information and really know how you need to target the consumer," Lee said.
The organic food market is an area that is ripe for expansion. In the United States, the organic food sector has grown an average of 9.4 percent for the past five years and is expected to be worth $46.5 billion by 2016.
The published article is available online and will appear in January's edition of the "Food Quality and Preference" journal.
