مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد رفتار مصرف کننده و قصد خرید برای غذاهای ارگانیک (الزویر)

In the late twentieth century, the world witnessed a paradigm shift in the reach of education and in the attitude of people towards life. As part of this shift, there was a marked increase in the preference for organic food. Traditionally, many farmers were unaware of the modern and scientific food production techniques and thus, they did not use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other crop-preserving chemicals in the process of food production. They used to grow pesticide-free food for self-consumption only. In fact, this consumption of organic food was symbolic of the ethical value system (Grosglik, 2016). Then, a trend emerged between 1940s and 1960s when farmers shifted to more efficient and intensive food production techniques, which involved the use of advanced methods. This trend flourished despite the knowledge of the benefits of organic food. The reason for this is attributed to the increase in human population coupled with the devastating famines in certain parts of the world, which mandated higher production of food. Bolstered by Industrialization and improvements in agricultural chemicals, the farmers shifted to such forms of food production. As a result, organic farming took a backseat, and consumers began purchasing conventionally grown food because of its sheer abundance and lower prices (Mutlu, 2007). Eventually, the indiscriminate use of chemicals led to environmental deterioration. Also, the commercial objectives, which led to the use of hazardous pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the farms and agricultural land meant that consumers were buying food and food products without any nutritional value. The high incidence of lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disorders, raised an alarm which made consumers realize the importance of food quality and safety (Menrad, 2003; Roberfroid, 2002). Many consumers, these days, believe in the motto “You are what you eat” — a perception that has highly contributed to the increase in demand for organic food (Norman et al., 2000). With both consumers and farmers thinking about returning to organically grown and environmentally friendly products, organic food is gaining acceptance not only in developed countries of Europe and North America, but also in developing countries such as China and India (Patel et al., 2007; Paul et al., 2016).