quirements. While at least four in 10
survey participants identified organic
as meaning all-natural and containing
no artificial ingredients, preservatives,
flavors or colors, only 3 percent of parents identified organic as meaning
“certified/adheres to government
standards.” Similarly, 3 percent of survey respondents stated that organic
meant no antibiotics and 4 percent
stated that it meant no fertilizers/
chemical fertilizers. An additional 13
percent of parents reported that organic simply means “healthier,” further demonstrating consumers’ lack
of knowledge about the true definition of organic.
Lastly, while half of the parents
who choose not to purchase organic
products most often claim that price
holds them back, these parents are
also likely to cite a lack of knowledge
or desire to learn about organic as the
primary reason why they have not entered the market. All together, these
findings suggest that continued efforts
are needed to raise consumer awareness of and attention to the USDA
seal, particularly among new organic
purchasers and those who are not purchasing organic yet.
By comparison, 15 percent of survey respondents gathered information about organic via health practitioners, 13 percent via blogs,
11 percent via mothers’ or parents’ groups/websites, and 9 percent
via social network websites. Interestingly, young parents ( 18-24) were
most likely to turn to health care practitioners for information and
guidance about organic, perhaps reflecting the important role that
pediatricians can play in the lives of first-time parents.
Survey respondents also indicated that they referenced manufacturers’ web sites, newspapers, e-mail newsletters, and their children’s
schools when seeking out information about organic, further illustrating the diversity of channels through which people learn about
organic. ;
The final written report, which includes these and many other findings, is
available for purchase from OTA via its online bookstore ( www.ota.com/book-store/ 2.html) or by contacting OTA.
Jennifer Rose is the new media manager and staff writer for OTA.
Working closely with other members of OTA’s Integrated Marketing and Communications team, Jennifer manages OTA’s online
public relations efforts using a variety of Web 2.0 tools including
Twitter, Facebook, Wikipedia and blogs. She also contributes to
OTA’s public relations and marketing efforts offline by writing articles for several publications. Jennifer can be reached at jrose@ota.com.
How Are Consumers Learning
About Organic?
When it came to parents’ sources
of organic information, survey respondents offered a variety of different responses. Nearly half ( 47 percent)
reported that they relied on the internet to learn about organic. Forty percent reported that they learned about
organic in grocery stores; 33 percent
turned to magazines for this purpose,
while 29 percent and 22 percent highlighted friends and family, respectively, as important sources of
information about organic products.
Of those turning to family and friends
for information, newly organic buyers
were significantly more likely than
more experienced organic buyers to
rely on family members.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based association for the organic business community in North America. OTA represents the organic industry to policy makers and the public. Learn more at www.ota.com or call (413) 774-7511, ext. 19 Make your voice heard and GET CONNECTED ; to policy and regulatory expertise ; to quality information and education ; to new customers and suppliers ; to colleagues in all sectors of the organic business community
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