Comportamento do consumidor de produtos orgânicos em Porto Alegre em dois canais de distribuição

Abstract

It is widely recognized that patterns of food consumption are currently changing as a result from concerns about environmental sustainability and human health issues. This trend has contributed to the rapid expansion of organic agriculture around the world. According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, people and ecosystems, using organic pesticides and avoiding e.g. the use of antibiotics and growth hormones. The area of agricultural land used worldwide for organic agriculture has increased by almost 1.9 million hectares from 2006 to 2007. In Brazil, the market for organic food has shown an annual growth rate of approximately 25% since year 2000. This expressive growth has encouraged several studies on the motivation behind consumers’ decision to purchase organic food. It is known that consumer behavior is directly linked to consumer’s culture, family, environment as well as to their economic reality.