Assessing determinants of organic food consumption using data from the German National Nutrition Survey II

The organic food industry is continuously growing worldwide. Critical for sustaining this expansion is an adequate understanding of consumer behaviour. However, reported results of the numerous studies on factors determining consumer decisions are not very consistent. Therefore, we develop a comprehensive causal model to analyse data from 13,074 German consumers gathered through the representative German National Nutrition Survey II (Nationale Verzehrsstudie II). The findings indicate that altruistic motives are the major factors affecting consumer attitude and purchasing behaviour, making socio-demographic variables appear less important. Implications for the organic food industry and recommendations for further research are derived.

► Assessment of determinants of organic food purchasing behaviour in Germany.
► Data from the representative German National Nutrition Survey II.
► Altruistic motives are strong predictors of consumer attitude and behaviour.
► Socio-demographic variables play a secondary role.