Decision making process of community organic food consumers: an exploratory study

Purpose – Substantial changes in the organic food sector and recent studies on the Canadian organic food market are showing promising trends. However, community organic food markets are different from organic food mainstream markets. In a domain growing in theoretical and practical importance, the main objective of this paper is to develop an understanding and analysis of “community organic food market”. Design/methodology/approach – Focus groups were conducted and data collected were analyzed using content analysis. Findings – Five main themes emerged and brought contributions in terms of: organic food definition and recognition, organic food consumers' motivations, trust with regard to organic food, labeling and certification process, organic food distribution channels, and the proposition of a conceptual model of decision making with regard to organic food consumers in small communities. Research limitations/implications – Data collection was conducted in only one small community location and should be extended to other small communities as well as urban city centers. Practical implications – This study provides some insights to managers in terms of the market mix and target marketing of organic food niche markets. Originality/value – The paper explores the difference between an organic food mainstream market and an organic food niche/community market using a consumer behaviour perspective.