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Consumer perception of different organic certification schemes in five European countries

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Abstract

With the introduction of the new mandatory EU logo for organic food and farming, the various existing organic certification schemes in the European market face a challenge: Producers and retailers might only continue to display the existing organic logos on product packages if the underlying certification schemes offer consumers an added value compared to the mandatory EU logo and its scheme. The present study aims to identify potential added values that organic certification schemes could incorporate to differentiate themselves from the mandatory EU logo. The study explores consumer awareness and perception of different organic certification schemes and the corresponding logos, about which little is known to date. The qualitative approach with focus group discussions in the five European countries Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy and UK revealed that consumer knowledge of organic certification schemes is generally low. In Italy and the UK, the great majority of participants were not aware of any differences between the schemes that were discussed. In the Czech Republic, Denmark and Germany, several participants preferred a particular organic certification scheme over others. The following aspects could be identified as potential added values for certification schemes to differentiate themselves from the EU logo and the underlying scheme: Stricter production standards, stricter control, domestic origin and fair prices for farmers.

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Notes

  1. In this contribution, the term ‘organic products’ solely refers to organic food.

  2. A transition period is granted for product packages and labels produced before 1 July 2010. All packaging and labels manufactured after that date shall feature the new EU logo (Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008).

  3. In this contribution, the terms ‘organic certification logo’ and ‘organic logo’ refer to the logos of governmental and private certification schemes. These are not to be confused with organic producer and retailer brands (such as Rapunzel and Tesco's organic).

  4. The authors thank the following partners for their contribution to data collection and analysis: Lukáš Zagata and Michal Lošťák, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic; Lizzie Melby Jespersen and Simon Olling Rebsdorf, International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS), Denmark; Simona Naspetti and Raffaele Zanoli, Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy; Susanne Padel and Jane Vine, Aberystwyth University, UK.

  5. The intensity of organic food consumption was measured by means of an index with a scale from 0 to 14 points. The participants were asked for their organic consumption intensity in seven different product groups with the standardised answer categories ‘almost never’ (0), ‘sometimes’ (1) and ‘almost always’ (2). The numbers in brackets show the points assigned to the categories. For each participant, the points reached in the seven product categories were added up. In all countries, consumers with less than 3 points were excluded from participating in the study. The number of points that determined the classification as occasional and frequent buyers was different from country to country, in order to take the different stages of the organic market development into account. Consumers with an index of 3 to 5 points (in the Czech Republic and Italy), 3 to 6 points (in Germany and the UK), and 3 to 9 points (in Denmark), respectively, were classified as occasional organic consumers. Consumers with a higher index were classified as frequent buyers of organic food.

  6. The focus groups were composed as follows (the figures after the country code refer to the share of the younger age group and the share of women respectively): CZ 70% and 70%; DE 56% and 61%; DK 56% and 67%; IT 43% and 70%; UK 52% and 59%.

  7. A centralised approach to data analysis with one person analysing the focus group discussions of all countries was seen unfeasible, since crucial meaning would have been lost if the original material had been translated into English language and analysed by a foreigner.

  8. The low level of knowledge of organic certification logos among the UK participants might have to do with the fact that in the UK most organic produce is sold in supermarkets under prominent organic retail brands (e.g. Tesco’s organic). Organic certification logos are often displayed on the back of product packages (if they are shown at all). The UK participants frequently mentioned several organic retail brands in the focus group discussions proving that they were familiar with organic products. However, it needs to be pointed out that the sample is not representative of the UK population.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the anonymous referees for their valuable comments on the manuscript. This publication was generated as part of the CERTCOST Project, agreement no. 207727 (http://www.certcost.org), with financial support from the European Community under the 7th Framework Programme. The publication reflects the views of the authors and not those of the European Community, who is not to be held liable for any use that may be made of the information contained. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the European Community.

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  1. Agricultural and Food Marketing, University of Kassel, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, Steinstrasse 19, 37213, Witzenhausen, Germany

    Meike Janssen & Ulrich Hamm

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  1. Meike Janssen
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  2. Ulrich Hamm
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Correspondence to Meike Janssen.

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Janssen, M., Hamm, U. Consumer perception of different organic certification schemes in five European countries. Org. Agr. 1, 31–43 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-010-0003-y

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