In its pure essence, organic food automatically translates to high-quality products. In this sense, eco-labels have done an excellent branding job in awaking positive connotations. With every purchase of organic products, consumers feel a moral surplus [1]. This overall positive effect of organic food has had the scientific community coin the term ‘Organic halo effect’. One manifestation? Consumers of organic food believe that they consume healthier products in a more environmentally friendly, sustainable manner than conventional produce [2, 3].
But apart from perceptions, what information do consumers have about organic food? Consumers do not have enough information to accurately describe organic food [2, 4]. In one study, almost half of consumers show poor or very poor knowledge: For most of them, organic means local or home-grown, healthier or better in quality, free of additional chemical products and pesticides [2].
As any brand aficionado already knows, perceptions and information translate directly to revenue. Consumers are more willing to spend an extra buck on organic products because of the perceived premium of environmental and health benefits [2, 5]. Moreover, more affluent and more frequent consumers are more likely to buy organic food [2, 5] – in other words, the ones with the most purchasing power and the highest potential for loyalty.