Research shows consumers are willing to pay more for organic food

Consumers appeared to be more willing to spend additional dollars on organic food products, and value organic purity in making purchasing decisions, according to a study published in the Journal of Agrobiotechnology Management & Economics. A team of researchers at the Iowa State University enrolled 129 adults aged 18 to 65 years old as part of the study. The cohort population had a mean age of 8 years, a mean education of 17 years, and an average annual per-capita household income of up to $30,530.

The experiment was conducted in a way that resembled an auction, where the participants were instructed to bid for one unit of each of three target commodities that included one unit of whole bean Arabica French roast coffee, one unit of U.S. Grade A dark amber maple syrup and one unit of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. The three products were the only ones that carried a “100% organic” label from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The other commodities, which were labeled conventional products, served as the controls.