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Factors Determining Buying Behavior on the Organic Food Market in the Visegrad Group Countries—Using Canonical Correlation Analysis
Consumers are increasingly seeking ecological, organic, minimally processed food from certified organic farms. Consumer purchasing decisions in the organic food market are determined by various factors. The main objective of the article is to identify the range and direction of multidimensional relationships between the frequency of purchasing organic food and the factors that determine purchasing decisions. For this purpose, a canonical analysis was performed. Statistical data were obtained from survey research conducted in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary (600 questionnaires filled in each country) from December 2023 to March 2024. Research shows that the key factor that influences purchasing decisions with respect to organic food is its high quality. In countries such as Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, this feature received the highest percentage of indications as very important, 53%, 44%, and 54%, respectively. In the second place, respondents indicated production without agricultural chemicals and food additives (in Hungary, this factor was considered the most important, with a percentage of indications at the level of 77%). In all the countries of the Visegrad Group, the influence of famous people, celebrities, and bloggers seems to be the least important—40.7% of respondents in Slovakia considered them completely unimportant, and as many as 73% in Hungary. Fashion was similarly rated low. In the case of this factor, the percentage of indications as unimportant ranged from 31% (Slovakia) to 76% (Hungary).
Barriers to the Consumption of Organic Food in Visegrad Group Countries
The consumption of organic food fits into the sustainable development goals and constitutes a justification for the further development of organic farming. The research aimed to identify the most important limitations to the growth of organic food consumption in the Visegrad Group countries and to indicate the differences and similarities in their perception. Therefore, at the turn of 2024, a survey was conducted among consumers in each of the countries of the Visegrad Group on a population of 600 people using an identical survey questionnaire. The research shows that in all four countries, the most important barrier to the growth of organic food is its high price, which is of great importance to Slovak consumers. The low availability and narrow offer, as well as insufficient information on organic food, were also important for consumers. On average, over 80% of the surveyed consumers rate the price level of organic food as high – the highest percentage was observed in Slovakia and the lowest in Czechia. Also, approximately 80% of the surveyed can accept a price up to 20% higher than conventional food. In the opinion of the respondents, the most important factors that would increase organic food consumption include lowering its prices, increasing income, and expanding the offer and availability.