A STUDY ON THE CONSUMERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KOLLAM CITY

There has been a growing awareness and preference for organic food products around the globe these days. Today, Organic food products are gaining more acceptance and preference over inorganic food products because of the increasing concerns about health and safety. The present study aims to study the consumer's perception towards the organic food products, the reasons contributing to the purchase of organic food products, problems faced by the consumers of organic food products and their level of satisfaction with the purchase of organic food products. The data was collected from a sample of 31 organic consumers in Kollam City of Kerala with the help of a structured questionnaire. The study found out that the main reason for the purchase of organic food products by the consumers was because they are considered to be safe. High price was the main problem faced by the consumers of organic food products. The study also found out that majority of the consumers are very much satisfied with the purchase of organic food products. The study suggests that proper awareness of the benefits of organic food products must be made to increase the number of organic food products and necessary steps must be taken by the government to increase the production and distribution of organic food products. Certification and labelling of organic food products are also suggested.