Want to differentiate your organic product? The only ways is ethics, say researchers
A new study has suggested that producers of organic products can differentiate themselves from competitors within the organic sector by better utilising on pack ethical messages based on standards that are above minimum regulations.
"There is remarkable potential for product differentiation within the organic sector through applying production and/or distribution systems which follow even higher ethical standards than those required by EU basic regulations on Organic Farming," said the authors, led by Katrin Zander from the University of Kassel, Germany.
The research, published in Appetite, notes that with 'ethical consumerism' growing as a trend worldwide, consumers' expectations are increasing - and neither the Fairtrade nor organic concepts cover all the ethical concerns.
Zander and her colleagues added that the integration of additional ethical attributes into production processes "is likely to be much easier for farmers and processors from the same cultural background."
"Thus, the introduction and development of further ethical standards is a possibility for European producers, so as to secure market shares in the face of competitors from culturally-distant countries," they added.
Study details
The researchers used a combination of research methods including focus groups and choice experiments to identify which ethical concerns are of primary importance for consumers in five European countries - the team found that 'higher animal welfare', 'local production' and 'fair producer prices' were preferred in all countries.
"Apart from adjusting systems of production, successful product differentiation depends on target-oriented and effective communication with consumers," said the research team. "Organic farmers and processors need to communicate the additional ethical efforts that are reflected in their production processes."
"Only then are consumers given the opportunity to make purchase decisions that consider individual ethical attitudes and convictions," they commented.
The team noted that further topics for research in the area include testing the extent to which consumer preferences for additional ethical attributes vary between different food products.
"Another interesting question is related to consumer preferences when comparing organic with conventional products, both fulfilling additional ethical criteria, since we tested only organic products against each other," they said.
Source: Appetite
Volume 62, Pages 133–142, doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.11.015
"Promising ethical arguments for product differentiation in the organic food sector. A mixed methods research approach"
Authors: Katrin Zander, Hanna Stolz, Ulrich Hamm
