USDA Certification of Food as Organic: An Investigation of Consumer Beliefs about the Health Benefits of Organic Food

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 353-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Guilabert ◽  
John Andy Wood
Keyword(s):  
Health Benefits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Consumer Beliefs

Do health benefits explain the price premiums for organic foods?

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Kuchler ◽  
Katherine Ralston ◽  
J. Robert Tomerlin
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcome ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Adverse Health Outcome ◽  
Price Premiums ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Typical Consumer ◽  
Value Of Health

AbstractThis paper examines whether the dollar value of health benefits that consumers derive from organic food could account for the price premiums they pay. Price and sales data from realized transactions are inadequate to reveal consumer preferences for health benefits. Our exploratory alternative method estimates the value of health benefits to a hypothetical consumer who assesses risks as risk assessors do and values a unit reduction in all fatal risks equally, regardless of the source of any risk. Under these assumptions, our estimates of the value of health benefits derived from substituting an organic diet for a conventionally produced diet approach zero. For a common organic product, apple juice, we estimated the cost of reducing risks by buying the organic characteristic. The cost of averting each adverse health outcome is 27 to 461 times as large as the value of benefits. If the characteristics of our hypothetical consumer match those of the typical consumer, two inferences follow from our estimates of benefits and costs. First, the typical consumer is unlikely to purchase organic food for health reasons. Second, consumers who choose organic food could differ from typical consumers in several dimensions: perceptions of the level of risk from dietary intake of pesticides, perceptions of the nature of adverse health outcomes from pesticides, or in the importance attached to other attributes of organic food. Our analysis is exploratory partially because there are several behavioral assumptions implicit in the values we calculate. Also, we focus on risks that can be quantitatively estimated, measuring the probability of an adverse health outcome with readily accessible data. Currently, only cancer risks can be measured in terms of probabilities from readily accessible data.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption: Is There a Measurable Benefit on Human Health?

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vigar ◽  
Myers ◽  
Oliver ◽  
Arellano ◽  
Robinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Current Evidence Base ◽  
Organic Food Consumption

The current review aims to systematically assess the evidence related to human health outcomes when an organic diet is consumed in comparison to its conventional counterpart. Relevant databases were searched for articles published to January 2019. Clinical trials and observational research studies were included where they provided comparative results on direct or indirect health outcomes. Thirty-five papers met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Few clinical trials assessed direct improvements in health outcomes associated with organic food consumption; most assessed either differences in pesticide exposure or other indirect measures. Significant positive outcomes were seen in longitudinal studies where increased organic intake was associated with reduced incidence of infertility, birth defects, allergic sensitisation, otitis media, pre-eclampsia, metabolic syndrome, high BMI, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The current evidence base does not allow a definitive statement on the health benefits of organic dietary intake. However, a growing number of important findings are being reported from observational research linking demonstrable health benefits with organic food consumption. Future clinical research should focus on using long-term whole-diet substitution with certified organic interventions as this approach is more likely to determine whether or not true measurable health benefits exist.

scholarly journals Organic Foods in Diets of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1388
Author(s):  
Szymon Dziuba ◽  
Anna Cierniak-Emerych ◽  
Blanka Klímová ◽  
Petra Poulová ◽  
Piotr Napora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Organic Foods ◽  
The Face

Sustainable consumption is increasingly being promoted in the face of the decreasing amount of natural resources in the world. In general, sustainable consumption means using products and services that meet human basic needs while minimizing the consumption of natural resources and reducing waste. At this point, it is worth noting that the production of organic foods is conducive to the development of sustainable consumption through, e.g., natural methods of production, without the use of artificial fertilizers and crop protection chemicals. Nowadays, more and more emphasis is put on the correlations between health and diets. Consumers who care for their health often choose organic food. Therefore, the focus of this study was on the identification and presentation of the interest in organic foods among people who provide care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In order to achieve this aim, the theoretical part of the study attempted to demonstrate, on the one hand, the benefits of organic food and, on the other hand, the specific nutrition of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The achievement of the study aim was supported by the analysis of the related literature, including the results obtained by other authors. The results of the authors’ own survey conducted in 2017–2018 were also used, with the respondents being the carers and potential carers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and medical specialists. A statistical analysis was also carried out, including Pearson’s test analysis and a correspondence analysis. The literature survey and empirical examinations led to the conclusion that organic food is characterized by health benefits which should be taken into consideration during planning of diets for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Carers indicated the deficiency of knowledge concerning demanded diet components. They intuitively perceive the need for using organic food due to its health benefits and for the implementation of the principles of sustainable consumption. Carers are unable to identify the values which would help improve the health of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

scholarly journals ‘Health Halo’: A new opportunity for Organic Food in COVID upsurge

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (06) ◽  
pp. 113-119
Author(s):  
Shivani Kalra ◽  
◽  
Dr. Shailja Dixit ◽  
Dr. Bobby W. Lyall ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Method ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
The People ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Organically Grown ◽  
Method Approach

Purpose- In order to find out the health impact of organic food, this paper is a systematic review of prevalent literature that summarizes the health implications of organic food vs. non-organic food or conventional food on human health. With the upsurge in COVID cases globally, the demand for organic food has increased over the years. People have shifted toward organically grown food perceiving it to be healthy and safe for consumption which is also claimed to be an immunity booster. This paper not only underlines the health benefits of organic food but is also an attempt to find out the health halo if any behind such formed conventions and beliefs. Design/Method/Approach- The paper draws its knowledge from published work in reliable sources and attempts to understand the beliefs of organic food consumers. Findings- It was found that the people living in developed cities in India are aware of the prevalent benefits of consuming organic food products. They not only prefer organic food products but also consider them safe. Many states of India are working towards achieving the aim of getting 100% organic in the coming years. Various owners of supermarkets in India have witnessed a 30-40% increase in the sales of organic food in the last two years. Research Gap- Clinical research is required to further validate the claimed health benefits by medical professionals.

Exploring the role of transaction costs in the intensity of organic food consumption in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Cechin ◽  
Jean Pierre Passos Medaets ◽  
Armando Fornazier ◽  
Ana Carolina Pereira Zoghbi
Keyword(s):  
Transaction Costs ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organic Food Consumption

PurposeOrganic food has additional quality attributes compared to those found in conventional food, such as environmental responsibility and health benefits. Information about these attributes is scarce and complex, the assortment of organic foods is deficient and there are fewer places that sell this kind of food. These factors increase the uncertainty and the transaction costs (TCs) for potential organic fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) consumers. This paper aims to show the influence of these costs on the intensity of organic FFV consumption, particularly among high-income consumers.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical strategy was based on a survey, and data were collected by administering a structured online questionnaire among residents of the Brazilian Federal District. Organic food consumption was decomposed into three different intensity categories. Data analysis was based on two logistic models, a multinomial regression and an ordered regression, where perceived economic value and different dimensions of TCs were the main independent variables, and the intensity of organic food consumption was the dependent variable.FindingsThe results show that organic food consumers are not a homogeneous group, and that perceived economic value and the TCs associated with searching for marketplaces, inadequate product assortment and distrust in health benefits and in organic authenticity are important inhibitors of organic FFV consumption and help explain the intensity of consumption.Originality/valueThis study innovates, as it takes a post-purchase approach, examines different groups based on the intensity of their consumption of organic FFV and focuses on perceived economic value and TCs as important explanations of the intensity of organic FFV consumption.

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