A pan-India mini consumer survey conducted recently reveals Indian consumers to have low levels of awareness about organic products and the significance of the certified-organic logo.
But there is a silver lining. 62% of them purchase organic products daily or at least on weekly basis.
◊ By Pure & Eco India
Note: To access contact details of organic suppliers, organic shops and organic brands in India, buy the Organic Directory
Aditi Organic Certifications Pvt Ltd, one of the government-accredited organic certification agencies in India, has undertaken a mini consumer survey to gauge consumer mindset and habits.
550 consumers across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad were surveyed on various parameters, such as awareness about organic products, purchase patterns, etc.
SURVEY FINDINGS
1] 70% of the buyers are not aware that they need to look for the certified organic logo while purchasing organic products. The certified organic logo assures consumers of the quality of products as the certifying body would have done due diligence before granting organic certification.
2] 57% of the buyers cite lack of trust as a reason for not buying organic products. Producers and processors can address this concern by offering certified organic products, which offer reliability.
3] 67% of consumers think ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are the same thing. More efforts are required to educate consumers on the real difference between the two categories, or else consumers may end up buying products which may not be organic in reality.
4] 93% of consumers are aware of organic products only in fruits, vegetable and staples. Therefore, more efforts are required to spread awareness around availability of organic products in other categories like milk, milk products, beverages, textiles, etc.
5] 62% of consumers buy organic products frequently (daily or at least weekly). This shows awareness is slowly increasing among consumers to opt for organic food for better health and immunity.
6] 53% of consumers purchase organic products from branded retail stores followed by 38% who prefer purchasing from trusted organic stores. This indicates the potential for such stores to grow in the future.
7] Mumbai and Bengaluru (comprising 56% of consumers) of carry the most potential for organic products currently, with Delhi in third position.
8] 46% of the consumers are working, while 39% are students. Retirees and senior citizens are buying the least amount of organic products.
I am using organic last 25 years
Just wanted to know since the certification process is to lengthy and also costly, these are two main issues. How we can address them and how we can make more farmers and companies to adapt the certificates. Please acknowledge me on this.
You can opt for PGS certification. It only takes a year and is more economical. But you can use it only to sell in the domestic market, not export. More farmers can join in by getting together and creating FPOs. Or they can go it alone and sell as individual entities after acquiring organic certification.
For further information on PGS certification, visit: https://pgsindia-ncof.gov.in/