MRP on organic food

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A
MAJOR RESERCH PROJECT ON
―Consumer Behavior for Buying Organic Products in Indore‖
FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF
POST GRADUATE
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
(DAVV, INDORE) SESSION 2011-2013
SUBMITTED TO
MEDI-CAPS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
GUIDED BY: SUBMITTED BY:
Prof. Prashant gupta Arpan soni
MBA IV SEMESTER
ROLL NO.- 11701717

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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the Major Research Project entitled, “CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
FOR BUYING ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN INDORE” submitted by me for the partial
fulfillment of MBA to MEDI-CAPS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND
MANAGEMENT, is my own original work and has not been submitted earlier to any other
Institution for the fulfillment of the requirement for any course of study.
I also declare that the work done by me and all the information collected is authentic to the
best of my knowledge.
ARPAN SONI
MBA
4th sem

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MEDI-CAPS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
A.B.Road, Pigdamber, Rau
Indore – 453331
Phone No.: 0731-4259500, 2856294
Fax: 0731-4259501 ,
E-mail: info@medicaps-institute.ac.in
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project title “CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FOR Buying ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN
INDORE” is a piece of research work that has been done by ARPAN SONI under my guidance and
supervision towards partial fulfillment of Post Graduation in Management. I recommend that the
project to be submitted to Medi-Caps Institute of Technology and Management
Place: (Signed)
Date: Prof.Prashant gupta
Designation
Countersigned
Place: (Signed)
Date: Director

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Today, the day has come when I must express my gratitude towards all those concerned
personalities who contributed in the completion of my report. I know, the effort would not
have had been possible without their sincere efforts. Just a mere expression in words would
not be sufficient, but I think that is the most significant way through which they can get to see
an insight of thankful and delighted eyes.
I would like to thank Dr. MAYANK SAXENA, Director, MEDI-CAPS INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT and prof. Prashant gupta for assigning me the
topic that is concerned with my long cherished dream and of my choice which made my work
more enthusiastic.
I am very much thankful to all the respondents and faculty member of MEDI-CAPS
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT who directly or indirectly
helped me a lot in completing the project
Last but not the least; I would like to thank all those who have been showing me the correct
path in the time of difficulties & confusions.
(Arpan soni)

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Table of Content
1. Introduction
Preliminaries (introduction of concept related to the study)
Profile (Company profile and industry profile)
Review of Literature
Rationale
Objectives & Scope
2. Methodology
Data Collection Techniques used
Population and Sample
Sampling Techniques
3. Empirical Analysis
Data Analysis
Results & Findings
Discussion on Findings
4. Recommendations
5. Limitations of the Study
6. Conclusion
Appendix
1. Questionnaire
2. SPSS sheets for Data Analysis
3. Data Spread Sheets containing all variables.
Bibliography / References (In APA Style)

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S.No. Title P.No.
1. INTRODUCTION 8
(b) Review of Literature 14
(c) Rational behind the study 18
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19
(a) Objective of study 19
(b) The Study 19
(c) The Design 19
(d) The Sample 19
(e) The Tools Used 20
3. EMPERICAL STUDY. 21
(a) Data analysis 22
(b) Results & Findings 22-45
4. IMPLICATIONS OF STUDY 46
(a) Recommendations 46
(b) Limitations of Study 48
5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSION 50
6. APPENDICES 52
Questionnier 53
Reference 56

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List of charts
s.no. p.no.
1 General Information 22
2 Occupation 23
3 Monthly household income 24
4 about Organic food 25
5 reason 26
6 Time of awareness 27
7 first hear about O.F. 28
8 Interest 29
9 like to know 30
10 Thinking 31
11 Types of food 32
12 Important motivations 33
13 packaging 34
14 Price 35
15 Taste/quality 36
16 concern about health 38
17 high price 39
18 taste is not good 40
19 low availability 41
20 Not purchase low trust 42
21 poor appearance 43
22 overall opinion 44
23 recommend organic foods 45

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INTRODUCTION
The global demand for organic food products is growing at a very rapid rate. Ever since the
environmentalists raised their concern regarding harmful effect of increasing use of
chemicals in farming, the consumers are getting conscious and selective about edible
products. This increasing awareness has caused shifts in consumers‘ tastes and preferences
which have led to the domestic as well as global rise in demand for organic products. To
supplement this demand, farmers have taken to organic farming for getting price premiums
which resulted in around 3.5 million hectare land across the globe under organic farming .In
India, the farmers have followed the path for organic food production, but the share of India
in the world organic market is less than one percent. In order to boost trade in Indian
agricultural products and capture significant share in global market, it is an imperative that
India focuses on organic products which give it competitive edge in global market, namely
organic cotton, spices, essential oils, medicinal and fresh fruits and vegetables. Organic
farming in irrigated and intensive farming areas holds another kind of promise, a source of
sustainable and value added commercial farming.
Organic Products have become very popular in many parts of the world. As the demand for
organic food increases so does the production, but currently the demand still exceeds the
supply. Organic foods are those that are produced using environmentally sound methods that
do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not
contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial
solvents, or chemical additives. Organic food is produced by farmers who focus on using
reusable resources and to conserve the soil and water so to ensure environmental quality for
future generations.
Organic Food is very safe for human body, and contains much more vitamins, calcium, and
iron than non-organic one. Moreover, organic food's taste and smell are richer than that one.
For these reasons, the popularity of organic food is developing. But when making it, it costs
much to protect from harmful insect. Organic products refer to food items that are produced,
processed and packaged without using chemicals. Organic is increasingly becoming popular
due to its perceived health benefits over conventional food. The industry is growing rapidly
since the past five years and has caught the attention of farmers, manufacturers and, above

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all, consumers. Organic farming is better for the environment. Organic farming practices
reduce pollution (air, water, soil), conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility,
and use less energy. It is also better for the people who harvest our food.
Organic Foods in the Future
Organic foods which guarantee nutritional requirements in a person‘s diet are becoming
increasingly popular in many parts of the world. With more and more people being concerned
about what they take in to check their health, organic foods have increasingly become the
number one option amongst many shoppers. It is now being found in major supermarkets and
these trends tell us that this food is here to stay. Many have their doubts about it. However
one must realize that when traditional foods are compared to organic foods, the facts favor
organic foods more. First of all, organic foods are produced naturally without anything
foreign included but traditional foods are constantly sprayed with pesticides, herbicides,
hormones and many other chemicals. Imagine eating foodstuffs which have a certain
percentage of foreign materials, many of which tend to be dangerously poisonous. Even with
that aside, these things can have harmful effects on the environment and the human body as
well. With this settled, any individual would clearly go in for organic foods which guarantees
nutritional intake and no foreign materials With this agreed on, one may wonder how this will
affect the future but it does. A person who takes in organically produced foods and knows of
its benefits will feed his/her children on it. If this family grows on organic food, the trend will
not stay there but will be transferred from family to family and generation to generation into
the future. Long way to showing that organic foods will increasingly become popular in the
future.
Benefits of Organic Food
Organic food is believed to be better than the non organic one since it is believed that the
organic food plays a very important role in protecting an individual‘s health. Facts and
researches have proved that more that 400 kinds of pesticides are used for the conventional
farming. These pesticides which are poisonous and harmful and are mainly meant to kill the
living organisms are often present on the food we eat.

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An Overview of Current Organic food market in India
The organic farming is an old concept in India in terms of the extensive farming carried out
in the country. The organic food market is worth USD 129.3 mn and shows huge potential for
growth in future. The increasing export market coupled with government‘s support has driven
the market.
The market overview section compares the global and domestic organic food market. An
analysis of the drivers explain the factors for growth of the industry including the huge export
market, organized retail enhancing distribution network, government initiatives and
increasing health consciousness among consumers. The key challenges identified encompass
high prices of organic food, lack of integrated supply chain and difficulties for farmers,
certification barriers. The competition section provides an overview of the competitive
landscape including brief profiles of key domestic producers and promoters of organic food
products. The key developments section provides an insight on sector related developments
in last one year. Under current government policy, it takes approximately three years for a
farm in conversion to be certified as organic, and costs are hefty for the small farmer.
Organic Food Consumption in Indiais on the Rise
Some people believe that organic food is only a ―concept‖ popular in the developed
countries. They think that when it comes to organic food, India only exports organic food and
very little is consumed. However, this is not true. Though 50% of the organic food production
in India is targeted towards exports, there are many who look towards organic food for
domestic consumption. The increase in organic food consumption in India is evident from the
fact that many organic food stores are spurring up in India. Today (2006) every supermarket
has an organic food store and every large city in India has numerous organic food stores and
restaurants. This is a huge change considering that the first organic food store in Mumbai was
started in 1997.However, the Indian organic food consumer needs education. There are many
consumers who are unaware of the difference between natural and organic food. Many people
purchase products labeled as Natural thinking that they are Organic. Further, consumers are
not aware of the certification system. Since certification is not compulsory for domestic retail
in India, many fake organic products are available in the market.

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Values and behaviour of organic consumers
What do organic consumers think, that is, what is in their minds concerning organic products,
is a determinant factor of consumer preference for organic food. In spite of taking
cognizance, a change in attitude and thinking about organic food is prerequisite, in order to
feel confident and positive about this new direction.
An organic consumer has more positive beliefs concerning organic products. For example,
this product tastes better, is more natural, is healthier-they believe that more than non-organic
consumers. They believe that the people who are important to them, people who are close to
them, also by organic products- they believe that it is a good thing that they buy organic
products. The other aspect of what the organic consumer think, as compared to non-organic
consumers, is their moral norms indicate they are doing a very good thing for the
environment, the right thing for society. This is something that differences them from non-
organic consumers. Non-organic purchases do not associate those beliefs to buy organic
products.
Consumers‘ values to make a choice for organic food can be seen in two terms-use values,
such as utility from taste, health and freshness, i.e., private good attributes which can only be
enjoyed by actually consuming the product. The other non-use values are public good values
related to improved environment and animal welfare. The majority of all consumers-
acknowledges and value organic goods for their non-use values (environmental or animal
welfare attributes), as well as for their use values (health, taste or freshness attributes). The
group of consumers having use values only is negligible. In the same way that most people
agree exercise- is important; they also agree that a sustainable, clean environment is
important.
We can change non-organic consumers minds to make them believe that organic products are
better in different ways-for the taste, health or the environment and demonstrate that people
who are important to them, whether it‘s people who are related or not, such as celebrities, if
they buy and consume organic product, then we might be able to move these consumers into
the organic market.

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All of us are consumers. We consume things of daily use; we also consume and buy these
products according to our needs, preferences and buying power. These can be consumable
goods, durable goods, specialty goods or, industrial goods. What we buy, how we buy, where
and when we buy, in how much quantity we buy depends on our perception, self concept,
social and cultural background and our age and family cycle, our attitudes, beliefs values,
motivation, personality, social class and many other factors that are both internal and external
to us. While buying, we also consider whether to buy or not to buy and, from which source or
seller to buy. In some societies there is a lot of affluence and, these societies can afford to buy
in greater quantities and at shorter intervals. In poor societies, the consumer can barely meet
his barest needs. The marketers therefore try to understand the needs of different consumers
and having understood his different behaviors which require an in-depth study of their
internal and external environment, they formulate their plans for marketing.
HISTORICAL PROSPECTIVE
 In 1939, Lord North borne coined the term organic farming in his book Look to the
Land (1940), out of his conception of "the farm as organism.
 This is different from the scientific use of the term "organic," to refer to a class of
molecules that contain carbon, especially those involved in the chemistry of life.
 It was with the advent of the ‗green revolution‘ that the natural way of growing crops
started becoming unpopular and economically less feasible.
 Organic food farming continued in small, mostly family-run, farms or kitchen gardens
where people grew food for their own requirements.
 The produce was sold in farmer‘s markets. Large scale organic farming was begun by
farmers and scientists, as a mark of protest to the agriculture industrialization.
 Now, organic food is widely available and has become very popular, with soaring
sales.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Moneesha PachauriIn her study to develop a framework for the study consumer behaviour
says it is helpful to begin by considering the evolution of the field of consumer research and
the different paradigms of thought that have influenced the discipline. As described in this
article, a set of dimensions can be identified in the literature, which can be used to
characterize and differentiate the various perspectives on consumer research. It is argued that
consumer behaviour itself emerged as a distinct field of study during the 1960s; and is
characterized by two broad paradigms, the positivist and the non-positivist. The positivist
paradigm encompasses the economic, behavioral, cognitive, motivational/trait/attitudinal, and
situational perspectives; these perspectives are referred to as the traditional perspectives as
they pre-date the development of the non-positivist paradigm. The positivist paradigm, which
is still the dominant paradigm, emphasizes the supremacy of human reason and that there is a
single, objective truth that can be discovered by science. This paradigm regards the world as
a rational and ordered place with a clearly defined past, present, and future. The assumption
of rationalism is therefore fundamental to the traditional perspective.
Richard Shepherd, Maria Magnusson, Per-OlowSjödén in their study have discussed what
influences consumers in their decisions to purchase or consume organic foods, mainly
concerned with fresh organic foods. These show a discrepancy between attitudes and
behavior with people being positive about organic foods but often not purchasing them. This
discrepancy seems to be explained by the fact that consumers do not consider ―organically
produced‖ to be an important purchase criterion, that organic foods are not perceived to
surpass conventional foods regarding taste and shelf life (two qualities rated to be of great
importance), and because of the perceived premium prices of organic foods. In two Swedish
studies, health benefits were demonstrated to be more strongly related to attitudes and
behavior toward organic foods than were perceived environmental benefits. A new European
Union (EU) project will investigate the influences on both fresh and processed organic foods
and investigate the role of moral, ethical, and affective influences on choice across eight EU
countries.

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Emmanuel K. Yiridoea, Samuel Bonti-Ankomaha and Ralph C. Martina have analyzed the
Growing interest in organic agriculture has prompted numerous studies that compare various
aspects of organic and conventionally produced foods. This paper provides a comprehensive
evaluation of empirical studies comparing organic products and conventionally grown
alternatives. The emphasis is on key organic consumer demand and marketing issues,
including: (1) the implications of an economic definition of organically grown food for
consumer demand; (2) attributes that shoppers consider most when comparing organic with
conventionally grown products; (3) level and characteristics of consumer knowledge and
awareness about organic food; (4) assessment methods and characteristics of organic
consumer attitudes and preferences; (5) size of price premium and characteristics of
consumers‘ willingness-to-pay for organic products; and (6) profile of organic consumers.
Overall, although there is some knowledge and awareness about organic products, consumers
are not consistent in their interpretation of what is organic. Secondly, while consumers
typically understand the broad issues about organic foods, many tend not to understand the
complexities and niceties of organic farming practices and organic food quality attributes.
Uncertainty regarding the true attributes of organic, and skepticism about organic labels, part
of which stems from reported cases of (inadvertent) mislabeling, and product
misrepresentation, and partly because of no uniform organic standards and certification
procedures may hold some consumers back from purchasing organic. Thirdly, concern for
human health and safety, which is a key factor that influences consumer preference for
organic food, is consistent with observed deterioration in human health over time and,
therefore, motivates consumers to buy organic food as insurance and/or investment in health.
Fourthly, the proportion of consumers who are willing to pay a price premium for organic
food decreases with premium level. On the other hand, premiums tend to increase with
(combinations of) preferred attributes. In addition, demand tends to depend more on the price
differential with respect to conventionally grown products, than on actual price. In contrast to
sensitivity of demand to changes in price, income elasticity of demand for organic foods is
generally small. Finally, it is important for policy analysts and researchers to note that
organic fresh fruits and vegetables currently dominate the organic consumer's food basket.
Furthermore, it is not clear whether frequent buyers consider particular organic products (e.g.,
organic meat) as normal goods, or if consumers consider such products as luxury goods.

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Magkos F, Arvaniti F, ZampelasA in their article talk aboutConsumer concern over the
quality and safety of conventional food which has intensified in recent years, and primarily
drives the increasing demand for organically grown food, which is perceived as healthier and
safer. Relevant scientific evidence, however, is scarce, while anecdotal reports abound.
Although there is an urgent need for information related to health benefits and/or hazards of
food products of both origins, generalized conclusions remain tentative in the absence of
adequate comparative data. Organic fruits and vegetables can be expected to contain fewer
agrochemical residues than conventionally grown alternatives; yet, the significance of this
difference is questionable, inasmuch as actual levels of contamination in both types of food
are generally well below acceptable limits. Also, some leafy, root, and tuber organic
vegetables appear to have lower nitrate content compared with conventional ones, but
whether or not dietary nitrate indeed constitutes a threat to human health is a matter of
debate. On the other hand, no differences can be identified for environmental contaminants
(e.g. cadmium and other heavy metals), which are likely to be present in food from both
origins. With respect to other food hazards, such as endogenous plant toxins, biological
pesticides and pathogenic microorganisms, available evidence is extremely limited
preventing generalized statements. Also, results for my co toxin contamination in cereal crops
are variable and inconclusive; hence, no clear picture emerges. It is difficult, therefore, to
weigh the risks, but what should be made clear is that 'organic' does not automatically equal
'safe.' Additional studies in this area of research are warranted. At our present state of
knowledge, other factors rather than safety aspects seem to speak in favor of organic food.
Arvola A, Vassallo M, Dean M, Lampila P, Saba A, Lähteenmäki L, Shepherd R.
In their study have examined the usefulness of integrating measures of affective and moral
attitudes into the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)-model in predicting purchase
intentions of organic foods. Moral attitude was operationalised as positive self-rewarding
feelings of doing the right thing. Questionnaire data were gathered in three countries: Italy
(N=202), Finland (N=270) and UK (N=200) in March 2004. Questions focused on intentions
to purchase organic apples and organic ready-to-cook pizza instead of their conventional
alternatives. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling by simultaneous multi-
group analysis of the three countries.

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Along with attitudes, moral attitude and subjective norms explained considerable shares of
variances in intentions. The relative influences of these variables varied between the
countries, such that in the UK and Italy moral attitude rather than subjective norms had
stronger explanatory power. In Finland it was other way around. Inclusion of moral attitude
improved the model fit and predictive ability of the model, although only marginally in
Finland. Thus the results partially support the usefulness of incorporating moral measures as
well as affective items for attitude into the framework of TPB.
Renee ShawHugner on her research discuss that Consumers appear willing to pay higher
prices for organic foods based on their perceived health and nutrition benefits, and the global
organic food market was estimated in 2007 to be worth £29 billion (£2 billion in the UK
alone). Some previous reviews have concluded that organically produced food has a superior
nutrient composition to conventional food, but there has to-date been no systematic review of
the available published literature.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have now completed
the most extensive systematic review of the available published literature on nutrient content
of organic food ever conducted. The review focused on nutritional content and did not
include a review of the content of contaminants or chemical residues in foods from different
agricultural production regiment.
David Gutierrez, staff writer atNaturalness says that Organic produce is nutritionally
superior to so-called "conventional" produce, according to a comprehensive review
conducted by researchers from the University of Aix-Marseille for the French food agency
(AFSSA) and published in the journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development.
"This critical literature review indicates that organic agriculture, as developed until now, has
the potential to produce high-quality products with some relevant improvements in terms of
anti-oxidant phyto micro nutrients, nitrate accumulation in vegetables and toxic residue
levels," the researchers wrote.
To be recognized as "organic," a food product must be produced without the use of genetic
modification or chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and must promote sustainable cropping
methods. In the United States, organically produced meat and dairy must be raised without
the use of synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics. Hormones and antibiotics are banned in
animal production across the board in the European Union.

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RATIONALE OF STUDY
RATIONALE OF STUDY
Indian economy is based on agriculture. The agricultural sector of India has occupied almost
43 percent of India's geographical area. Organic farming is one of them, and the trend of
buying organic food and products is increasing day by day. In USA organic products is very
common but in INDIA it is still in its nascent stage. The underlying principle of this research
was to find the consumer behaviour regarding organic products in Indore and suggesting a
marketing plan.

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CHAPTER 2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1) OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
1) To know the consumer behaviour for buying organic products in Indore.
2) To find out the awareness level about organic food in Indore market.
3) To identify the future scenario on the basis of collected facts and services provided by the
consumers in Indore
4) To gain knowledge about consumer attitude towards organic food product in Indore
2) SAMPLE UNIVERSE
Indore (M.P.)
3) SAMPLE SIZE
100 respondents
4) RESEARCH TYPE
Descriptive Research
5) SAMPLING TECHNIQUES
Simple Random sampling –
In random sampling, each item or element of the population has an equal chance of being
chosen at each draw. A sample is random if the method for obtaining the sample meets the
criterion of randomness (each element having an equal chance at each draw). The actual
composition of the sample itself does not determine whether or not it was a random sample

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6) METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
Through self designed questionnaire
7) STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
The data so collected was analyzed in SPSS software with the help of frequency distribution
and bar graph.

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CHAPTER -3
Empirical Analysis

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FINDING AND ANALYSIS
PART A: General Information
Gender
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid male 65 65.0 65.0 65.0
female 35 35.0 35.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation-The respondents for this survey65% people Male and 35 % Females.

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Occupation
Valid business 39 39.0 39.0 39.0
service 41 41.0 41.0 80.0
household 20 20.0 20.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation-In this survey majority of people are service class (41%) and 39% are
business class people, remaining people are belong to household.

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Monthly household income
Valid up to rs 20000 38 38.0 38.0 38.0
rs 20001-50000 35 35.0 35.0 73.0
rs 50000 above 27 27.0 27.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation- 38% people are belonging to lower income group, 35 % belong to middle
income and remaining 27% belong to high society.

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PART B: Information about Organic food
Have you heard about organic food
Valid yes 40 40.0 40.0 40.0
no 60 60.0 60.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation-Majority of people (60 %) in this survey hasn‘t heard about organic food and
remaining people (40%) have heard about organic food.

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If no, select the appropriate reason below
Frequency Percent
Valid
Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Know about it 40 40.0 40.0 40.0
I never heard about it 33 33.0 33.0 73.0
I know the name but not the
details
8 8.0 8.0 81.0
nobody told me 8 8.0 8.0 89.0
no interest in these things 11 11.0 11.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation- Out of 60% people who have not heard about organic food the reason given
says that 33 % people have never heard about organic food, 8 % people know the name but
don‘t know any details.11 % don‘t show any interest in these things.

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Interpretation-The majority shows that 60 % people are not aware about organic food; some
people (19%) know organic food from last 6 months. Very few people (12%) know organic
foods from last 1 year.9 % people aware about organic food from last 3 years.
How long have you been aware about organic foods
Valid 1 to 3 years 9 9.0 9.0 9.0
6 to 12 months 12 12.0 12.0 21.0
0 to 6 months 19 19.0 19.0 40.0
never 60 60.0 60.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0

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How did you first hear about organic food?
Valid Magazine 22 22.0 22.0 22.0
Newspaper 8 8.0 8.0 30.0
Internet 4 4.0 4.0 34.0
Friends 4 4.0 4.0 38.0
through this questionnaire 62 62.0 62.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation- In this question 62 % people mentioned that they have heard about organic
food through this questionnaire only, 22 %people know about organic food through

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magazines, 8 % people know from newspaper, very less number of people 4% people knows
from Internet and friends.
If you get a chance to know about organic food, would you be interested in exploring it
Valid yes 88 88.0 88.0 88.0
no 12 12.0 12.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation-Yes 88 % people are keen to know about organic food they show interest in
exploring it and 12 % are notshowing any interest.

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If yes , how would you like to know about it
Valid No answer 8 8.0 8.0 8.0
TV ads 10 10.0 10.0 18.0
radio ads 2 2.0 2.0 20.0
exhibition 54 54.0 54.0 74.0
social networking 25 25.0 25.0 99.0
any other 1 1.0 1.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation- 54% people feel exhibition can be the best source of knowledge about
organic food, 25 % use social networking sites and through this they know about organic
food. 10% people show interest in TV ads.

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What do you perceive/think about organic food?
Interpretation – This was a multiple tick question and out of the 204 responses received
maximum people (78) signify organic food with pesticides /chemical free 55 people find
organic food more nutritious than conventional food .apart from benefit of organic food 46
people find it more costly, and 22 people buy organic food because it is adulteration free.
78
22
3
55
46
0
What do you perceive/think about organic food

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What type of organic food would you like to purchase
Interpretation – This was a multiple tick question and out of the 170 responses received 78
people would like to buyprocessed organic food, we also see from the result of this survey
that 77 people preferred to buy vegetables, while only a minimal amount 13 people would
like to purchases produced food. We observe from this study that a meager number of 2
persons would want to buy non- veg. organic products.
13
78
2
77
0
produce processed foods meat,eggs vegetables any other
what type of organic food would you like to purchase

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In your opinion, what are the important motivations that will persuade you to buy organic
foods instead of non – organic foods( benefits)
Valid most important 87 87.0 87.0 87.0
Important 13 13.0 13.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation – 87 % say that the benefits of organic food is the most important reason why
they would prefer to buy it 13 % people say that benefits of organic food will play an
important role in persuading them to buy organic food

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foods instead of non – organic foods (packaging)
important 17 17.0 17.0 21.0
neutral 51 51.0 51.0 72.0
less important 24 24.0 24.0 96.0
least important 4 4.0 4.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation – 51 %people are not affected by packaging and it doesn‘t play a significant
role to persuade them to buy organic food.24 % people give less importance to packaging
.only 17 % people give importance to packaging.

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foods instead of non – organic foods (price)
important 26 26.0 26.0 39.0
neutral 17 17.0 17.0 56.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation – 43% people give less importance to price while choosing organic food, 26%
give importance to price.13 % people show price is most important.

37
In your opinion, what are the important motivations that will persuade you to buy
organic foods instead of non – organic foods( taste/quality)
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
important 4 4.0 4.0 92.0
neutral 2 2.0 2.0 94.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –In this study people find organic food is tasty 88 % people tell it is most
important motivation while buy organic food.

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foods instead of non – organic foods (friends)
Valid important 3 3.0 3.0 3.0
neutral 33 33.0 33.0 36.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –Buying organic food is individual decision 34 % people give less important
preference ,33 % people are neutral decision ,but 30 %people give less important while
buying organic food .

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foods instead of non – organic foods (concern about health)
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
important 3 3.0 3.0 98.0
neutral 1 1.0 1.0 99.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –Health concern is the most important factor for buying organic food 95
%people tells it is most important motivation.

40
Primary reasons you do not purchase organic foods(high price)
Valid most imp 35 35.0 35.0 35.0
Important 30 30.0 30.0 65.0
Neutral 20 20.0 20.0 85.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –Organic food is costly as compared to conventional food and 35 % people
tell this as the most important reason, 30 %people also tell yes it is important reason for not
purchasing organic food.

41
Primary reasons you do not purchase organic foods(taste is not good)
Valid most imp 5 5.0 5.0 5.0
important 16 16.0 16.0 21.0
neutral 34 34.0 34.0 55.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –The taste is not good reason is not affected people while they purchase
organic food 38 % people give less important, 34 % people are neutral.

42
Primary reasons you do not purchase organic foods (low availability)
Valid most imp 90 90.0 90.0 90.0
important 5 5.0 5.0 95.0
neutral 5 5.0 5.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –People want to buy organic food but low availability affects its decision
90%people tell it is important reason.

43
Primary reasons you do not purchase organic foods(low trust)
Valid most imp 27 27.0 27.0 27.0
important 22 22.0 22.0 49.0
neutral 26 26.0 26.0 75.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –People want to buy certified organic food that‘s why it is most important
reason about low trust of people (27%) for organic food, 26% people are neutral while they
don‘t purchase organic food.

44
Primary reasons you do not purchase organic foods(poor appearance)
Valid most imp 15 15.0 15.0 15.0
important 29 29.0 29.0 44.0
neutral 36 36.0 36.0 80.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation – The reason behind them they don‘t purchase organic food due to poor
appearance 36% people give neutral and 29 % people it is important factor.

45
How would you describe your overall opinion of organic food brands
Valid very favorable 30 30.0 30.0 30.0
somewhat favorable 53 53.0 53.0 83.0
neutral 11 11.0 11.0 94.0
somewhat unfavorable 4 4.0 4.0 98.0
very unfavorable 2 2.0 2.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation -53 %people preferred branded organic food it is somewhat favorable,
30 %people give very favorable opinion.

46
Would you recommend organic foods to a friend or associate
Valid definitely 29 29.0 29.0 29.0
probably 60 60.0 60.0 89.0
not sure 6 6.0 6.0 95.0
probably not 5 5.0 5.0 100.0
Total 100 100.0 100.0
Interpretation –60%people are ready to recommend organic food to friends or associate due
to its health benefit.29 % people definitely recommend organic food.

48
RECOMMENDATION
In the city of Indore there is low awareness among people but they are keen to know
about organic food. We can create awareness among people through exhibitions and
promotions of organic products.
Organic food is creating brand loyalty among their customers if the companies will
provide the products in somewhat same price range of inorganic products for customer
benefit. The products are certified with USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
as it bonds a trust of product with consumers so it is necessary to highlight this feature.
Company should introduce number of stores to provide facility to customer; and provide
services like home delivery for the convenience for customers.
A quality guarantee of organic food products directly influences consumption intensity,
absorption power of the market, packaging material design, advertising messages, choice
of the distribution channel, and distinguishing organic from conventional products
according to their market characteristics makes the fundamental factor of the product
differentiation and diversification with the aim of producing such organic food that would
certainly find its way to the consumer.

49
Chapter-5
LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

50
LIMITATION OF STUDY
Indore city has an approx population of 20-25 lakhs. Due to constraints of time a
small sample size of 100 respondents has been taken to make it representative of the
entire population. Though care has been taken in selecting the right sample size
Time was a major constraint in this study.

52
CONCLUSION
1) Most of the people are not aware about organic food in Indore (City)
which was my research area. Maximum number (62%) people have first
heard about organic food through this questionnaire.
2) This study suggests that major part of the sample size (88%) taken is
interested in exploring the phenomenon i.e. organic food.
3) The method of making organic food popular according to this survey is
through exhibitions.
4) The main characteristic of organic food is that it is pesticides/chemical
free and it is the main attraction which draws attention of people towards
it. Although it is costly then inorganic product but then too due to health
concern people are interested in consuming organic products.
5) Among the wide range of products most of the people preferred to buy
daily need items such as processed food (cereal) and vegetables as they
think they are more nutritious and a part of daily routine diet.
6) When the motivational reasons for persuading people to buy organic
food was surveyed the results received in favour of organic food are :
(a) It is beneficial.
(b)It has better taste and quality.
(c) The most important reason is health consciousness.

53
7) The primary reason why the sale of organic food is less because of low
availability and low trust. Low trust as an option has been mentioned here
because very few companies in organized retail sector are in organic food
till date so people have low interest in new companies which are concern
with organic products.
8) The final conclusion drawn from the research is it is somewhat favorable
among consumer of Indore and they probably associate with organic food
and would like to recommend it to their friends and relatives too.

55
APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE
(I am Management student of MEDI-CAPS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND
MANAGEMENT. As part of course I am undertaking this project study, I would request you
to kindly answer a few question. This questionnaire gives you to find out the consumer
behavior of buying organic food in INDORE.
Organic foods are those foods that are grown, processed and packaged without using
chemicals. Organic cultivation uses organic seeds, organic fertilizers, compost, organic root
stimulator, and organic pest control methods.)
Monthly Household
Income:
Up to Rs.20,000 Rs.20,001-Rs.50,000 Rs.50,000 above
1. Have you heard about organic food?
(1) Yes (2) No
2. If no, select the appropriate reason below?
(1) I never heard about it (2) I know the name but not the details
(3) Nobody told me (4) No interest in these things
3. How long have you been aware about organic foods?
(1)More than 3 years (2) 1 to 3 years (3) 6 to 12 Months
(4) 0 to 6 Months (5) Never
Name: Age: Gender:
Occupation: (1) Business (2) Service (3) Household

56
4. How did you first hear about organic foods?
(1) Advertisement (2) Magazine (3) Newspaper
(4) Internet (5) Friends (6) Through this Questionnaire
5. If you get a chance to know about organic food, would you be interested in exploring it?
(1) Yes (2) No
6. If yes, how would you like to know about it?
(1) TV Ads (2) Radio ads
(3) Exhibition (4) Social networking sites
(5) Any other please specify
7. What do you perceive/think about organic food? (You can tick more than one)
(1)Pesticides/ chemical free (2) No Adulteration (3) Eco-friendly
(4)More nutritious (5) Costly
8. What types of organic food would you like to purchase? (You can tick more than one)
(1)Produce (2) Processed foods (cereal, etc)
(3)Meat, eggs, poultry, seafood (4) Vegetables

57
9. In your opinion, what are the most important motivations that will persuade you to buy
organic foods instead of non-organic foods?
Most Imp Imp Neutral Less Imp Least Imp
Benefits
Packaging
Price
Taste/quality
Friends
Concern about health
10. Primary reasons you do not purchase organic foods
Most Imp Imp Neutral Less Imp Least Imp
High price
Taste is not good
Low availability
Low trust
Poor appearance
11. How would you describe your overall opinion of organic food brands?
(1) Very Favorable (2) Somewhat Favorable (3) Neutral
(4) Somewhat Unfavorable (5) Very Unfavorable
12. Would you recommend organic foods to a friend or associate?
(1) Definitely (2) Probably (3) Not sure
(4) Probably not (5) Definitely not

58
REFERENCES
1) By PachauriMoneeshaon his
reviewhttp://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/westburn/tmr/2001/00000002/000000
03/art00006
2) By; Magkos F, Arvaniti F, Zampelas A Crit Rev Food SciNutr. 2006; 46(1):23-56.
http://spot.colorado.edu/~carpenh/Magkos.pdf
3) By; Hugner Renee Shaw on her research science daily July 30 2009
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729103728.htm
4) By: Gutierrez David, staff Saturday
jan2,2010http://www.naturalnews.com/027854_organic_food_nutrition.html
5) http://www.organicfqhresearch.org/news/pdf/2-fqh-foodsbetter-amp.pdf
6) http://www.ccs.dcu.ie/consumingidentity/publications/documents/Hughner%20et%20
al%202007.pdf
7) http://resources.metapress.com/pdf-
preview.axd?code=rh6370g636405vq5&size=largest
8) http://www.jstor.org/pss/3150229
9) http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=870027&show=abstractd
10) www.organicsansar.com
11) Article on http://nutrihealth.in/food/organic-food-%E2%80%93is-good-does-good-
and-tastes-good/ by KatariaAshish on 5 feb,2010
12) By ShepherdRichard, Maria Magnusson, Per-OlowSjödén AMBIO: A Journal of the
Human Environment 34(4):352-359. 2005
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1579/0044-7447-34.4.352
13) Ekelund, L. 1989.Vegetable consumption and consumer attitudes towards organically
grown vegetables—the case of Sweden. ActaHortic 259:163–172.

59
14) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255
15) Roddy, G., C. A. Cowan, and G. Hutchinson. 1996. Consumer attitudes and behaviour
to organic foods in Ireland. J. Int. Consumer Market 9:41–63.
16) By CourtiolMark http://www.natural-health-journals.com/887/are-organic-foods-
more-nutritious
17) By Emmanuel K. Yiridoea1 c1, Samuel Bonti-Ankomaha2 and Ralph C. Martina3
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=00C645421CCB38A
DA2C553786AC8B151.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=692716
18) Arvola A, Vassallo M, Dean M, Lampila P, Saba A, Lähteenmäki L, Shepherd
R.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18036702
19) Kotler Philip marketing management 13th edition ― analyzing consumer behaviour
market ―
20) OlesenKortbech- (2002) on her article
http://sampleresearchproposals.blogspot.com/2010/01/consumer-behavior-and-
demand-of-organic.html
21) http://www.springerlink.com/content/rh6370g636405vq5/
22) http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/consumer-behavior-for-organic-food-
487184.html
23) By Kage Ben
http://www.naturalnews.com/020786_organic_foods_chemical_additives.html
24) http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=870027&show=abstract
25) FAIDON MAGKOS, FOTINI ARVANITI, and ANTONIS ZAMPELAS
http://spot.colorado.edu/~carpenh/Magkos.pdf

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