The Perceptions Of and Motivations for Purchase of Organic and Local Foods

What are the primary factors that attract consumers to buy organic or locally grown foods? In fact, do consumers know the difference between organic food and locally grown food? Organics have been a hot topic in health and food discussions and recently, locally-sourced foods are garnering increasing attention as well. Continuous economic and health developments encourage these trends. While much has been written about consumer perceptions of organic foods, this study considers the interaction between the definitions and perceptions of these two food classifications. Results are survey-based and focus on students at large college in the northeastern United States. This is a useful subject group, in that the group is viewed as emerging grocery consumers; we inquire about their current purchase habits, the perceptions and motivations for them, and changes they expect in their habits after graduation.