Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives

This study provides empirical insights to clarify consumers’ motives for choosing organic food and the importance of the packaging of organic food in shaping consumers’ perceptions of food organicity. Based on a survey of 497 consumers of organic food in Ukraine, we investigate the extent to which o...

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Main Authors: Olena Nifatova, Kseniia Bliumska-Danko, Sandra Charreire-Petit, Yuriy Danko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2025.1513954/full
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author Olena Nifatova
Olena Nifatova
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Sandra Charreire-Petit
Yuriy Danko
author_facet Olena Nifatova
Olena Nifatova
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Sandra Charreire-Petit
Yuriy Danko
author_sort Olena Nifatova
collection DOAJ
description This study provides empirical insights to clarify consumers’ motives for choosing organic food and the importance of the packaging of organic food in shaping consumers’ perceptions of food organicity. Based on a survey of 497 consumers of organic food in Ukraine, we investigate the extent to which organic packaging can serve as an indicator of external (altruistic) consumers’ expectations and whether the environmental friendliness of consumer choice is related to their expectations of sustainability (greenness) of organic food at all stages of their life cycle. We have found that there is no clear distinction between internal and external consumer motives in the perception of food organicity due to the perception of packaging organicity as part of food organicity. However, organic packaging can be an indicator of external (altruistic) consumer motives, subject to the limitations that organic packaging is less related to health care and more to altruistic motives. Consumers driven by external motives may expect produce to be organic at all stages of their life cycle and are more likely to rely on the producer’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Organic producers should consider this in their marketing strategies to meet consumer expectations and avoid the risk of greenwashing. Our results can serve as a starting point for further exploration of ways to foster mutual understanding between consumers and producers regarding shared environmental responsibility.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-57b9702b600843b8b1d0d07b41bafe3e2025-01-27T06:40:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainability2673-45242025-01-01610.3389/frsus.2025.15139541513954Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motivesOlena Nifatova0Olena Nifatova1Kseniia Bliumska-Danko2Kseniia Bliumska-Danko3Sandra Charreire-Petit4Yuriy Danko5Barcelona Economic Analysis Team, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainResearch Department, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, UkraineResearch Department, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, UkraineResearcher, Networks, Innovation, Territories and Globalisation Laboratory, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, FranceResearcher, Networks, Innovation, Territories and Globalisation Laboratory, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, FranceResearch Department, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, UkraineThis study provides empirical insights to clarify consumers’ motives for choosing organic food and the importance of the packaging of organic food in shaping consumers’ perceptions of food organicity. Based on a survey of 497 consumers of organic food in Ukraine, we investigate the extent to which organic packaging can serve as an indicator of external (altruistic) consumers’ expectations and whether the environmental friendliness of consumer choice is related to their expectations of sustainability (greenness) of organic food at all stages of their life cycle. We have found that there is no clear distinction between internal and external consumer motives in the perception of food organicity due to the perception of packaging organicity as part of food organicity. However, organic packaging can be an indicator of external (altruistic) consumer motives, subject to the limitations that organic packaging is less related to health care and more to altruistic motives. Consumers driven by external motives may expect produce to be organic at all stages of their life cycle and are more likely to rely on the producer’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Organic producers should consider this in their marketing strategies to meet consumer expectations and avoid the risk of greenwashing. Our results can serve as a starting point for further exploration of ways to foster mutual understanding between consumers and producers regarding shared environmental responsibility.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2025.1513954/fullpackaging of organic foodconsumers’ expectationsorganic food life cycleorganic producerssustainabilitygreen marketing
spellingShingle Olena Nifatova
Olena Nifatova
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Kseniia Bliumska-Danko
Sandra Charreire-Petit
Yuriy Danko
Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives
Frontiers in Sustainability
packaging of organic food
consumers’ expectations
organic food life cycle
organic producers
sustainability
green marketing
title Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives
title_full Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives
title_fullStr Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives
title_full_unstemmed Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives
title_short Packaging of organic food—the dilemma of consumers’ internal and external motives
title_sort packaging of organic food the dilemma of consumers internal and external motives
topic packaging of organic food
consumers’ expectations
organic food life cycle
organic producers
sustainability
green marketing
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2025.1513954/full
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