Demand for organic food

The markets for organic food have been strongly influenced by the coronavirus and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine. Stagnating to declining sales figures for organic food suggest the question of the future of organic markets. Will demand for organic food continue, and how will consumers react to changing price conditions? The study examines current consumer preferences for organic food, including a comparison with preferences for regional food, as well as willingness to pay and price expectations for selected organic foods. The evaluations of the online survey confirm that consumers have become more price sensitive and that, at the same time, organic food has a high-price image. Price expectations for organic food are significantly higher than the surcharges for organic food observed in the market. Consequently, it is the assumed higher prices and not actually significantly higher prices that represent an important obstacle to stronger demand for organic food. Another finding of this study is that regional food is often preferred to organic food, mainly because of shorter transport distances, greater transparency, lower price expectations and the expectation of greater sustainability.
To increase demand for organic food, prices need to be discussed more openly, with reference made to the actual price differences, and the added value of organic food needs to be communicated more strongly. Organic food needs to be more regional, not only because customers want it, but also in view of climate change and the sometimes problematic growing conditions in many countries of origin from a sustainability perspective.