Analysis of the Purchase Behavior of Imported Organic Foodstuffs in Italy and Korea

Abstract

Despite the growth of the global market for organic agri-food products, studies focusing on the consumer purchase behavior towards imported organic goods are rather limited. This paper wishes to contribute to this research area by highlighting the differences and commonalities between Italian and Korean consumers in the process of decision making towards imported organic food products. Both countries have been promoting organic farming and boosting awareness and education towards climate change and the production and consumption of eco-friendly products. The demand for organic products is expected to increase further as a result. Italy and Korea can also count on the EU-ROK Organic Equivalency Agreement which provides a big advantage in terms of trading time and costs. Overall, the factors influencing the decision making of consumers of imported organic foodstuffs are trustworthiness, product attributes, country of origin, and ethical concern. The relative relevance and preference among these factors given by the two consumer groups in the process of decision making were analyzed using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology. The results suggest that Italian and Korean consumers value criteria similarly. Nevertheless, there is a difference of perception of the products’ ethical dimension and the relevance given to brand and reputation. Korean consumers are generally more brand oriented and value green image comparatively more, while to Italian consumers distance to the country of origin, and animal welfare are comparatively more important. These new insights can be useful for marketers wishing to enter or strengthen their position in the Korean and / or the Italian markets. Finally, the conclusions drawn can serve as a basis for further research about purchase behavior towards imported organic products.