Title: Environmental management systems in food processing and production as a source of product value for the customer on the organic food market

Authors: Mariola Grzybowska-Brzezińska; Adam Rudzewicz

Addresses: Department of Market Analysis and Marketing, The Faculty of Economics, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland ' Department of Market Analysis and Marketing, The Faculty of Economics, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland

Abstract: Growing interest in organic agriculture has prompted numerous studies that compare various aspects of organically produced foods. The environmental ethic that gained worldwide prominence placed emphasis on individual responsibility (for personal health) and social action (on environmental quality). Personal responsibilities include making informed consumer choices in terms of product range to the specified value. This, in turn, requires consumer knowledge and awareness about competing products. This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of empirical studies about consumer perception of organic products in terms of product attributes and consumer willingness to pay for environmental management systems in agriculture and food processing. The aim of this paper is to analyses the importance of observed consequences resulting from purchasing organic food, which refer to natural environment and human health, and evaluation of consumer attitudes to ecological food.

Keywords: consumer perceptions; organic products; product attributes; willingness to pay; food production; food prices; consumer preferences; customer attitudes; credence; environmental management systems; EMS; food processing; product value; organic food markets; organic agriculture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPM.2015.068727

International Journal of Business Performance Management, 2015 Vol.16 No.2/3, pp.304 - 320

Received: 16 May 2014
Accepted: 15 Nov 2014
Published online: 10 Apr 2015 *

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