Childbirth is a major life-changing event, this period is an opportunity to improve eating habits. The aim of this longitudinal study was to identify and characterise dietary changes in women according to their parity status. Dietary intake data from 4194 women of childbearing age included in the NutriNet-Santé cohort were derived using a FFQ, administered in 2014 and 2018, distinguishing between organic and conventional food consumption. Women were classified into four groups: ‘previous children’, ‘multiparous’, ‘primiparous’ and ‘nulliparous’. Multi-adjusted ANCOVA models were used to estimate the changes according to the parity group. Changes in food consumption towards a more plant-based, healthier and organic diet were observed in all four groups of women, although to various degrees. In multivariable models, ‘Nulliparous’ women showed a greater improvement in terms of ‘sustainable’ food consumption than ‘previous children’ women. ‘Primiparous’ women significantly increased their energy intake (+349 (269–429) kcal/d) and their consumption of dairy products (+30 (3–56) g/d), and they significantly decreased their consumption of alcohol (–23 (–32–15) g/d), coffee and tea (–107 (–155–60) g/d). Regarding organic food, ‘nulliparous’ women increased their consumption more than ‘previous children’ and ‘primiparous’ women were those who were most frequently in the top quintile of organic food increase. Although there were dietary changes in all groups of women according to their parity, childless women have a shift moving towards a more sustainable diet. Women who had a first child reduced their alcohol and caffeine consumption.

The rising popular belief that gluten is unhealthy has led to growth in gluten avoidance in people without coeliac disease. Little information is available on their dietary profiles and their dietary behaviours. Our aim was to compare the consumption of organic foods between gluten avoiders and non-avoiders, and their places of food purchase. We described their sociodemographic and dietary profiles. The study population included participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort who completed both a food exclusion questionnaire and an organic semi-quantitative FFQ (n 23 468). Food intake and organic food consumption ratios were compared using multivariable adjusted ANCOVA models. Associations between gluten avoidance and organic food consumption as well as places of food purchase were investigated with multivariable logistic regression. Participants avoiding gluten were more likely to be women and had a healthier dietary profile. Organic food consumption was higher among gluten avoiders (48·50 % of total diet for total avoiders, 17·38 % for non-avoiders). After adjustments for confounders, organic food consumption and purchase in organic stores were positively associated with gluten avoidance: adjusted OR (aOR)Q5 v.Q1 organic food = 4·95; 95 % CI 3·70, 6·63 and aORorganic stores v.supermarkets = 1·82; 95 % CI 1·42, 2·33 for total avoiders. Our study highlights that individuals avoiding gluten are high organic consumers and frequently purchase their foods in organic stores which propose an extended offer of gluten-free food. Further research is needed to determine the underlying common motivations and the temporality of the dietary behaviours of healthy people avoiding gluten.

The increased prevalence and adverse health consequences of obesity have made it one of the leading public health issues in recent years. Importantly, several epidemiological studies have revealed significant associations between BMI and organic food consumption. However, although these studies have suggested that this factor holds promise to prevent obesity, they all suffer from methodological limitations, including self-reporting methods to assess BMI, not controlling for potential confounding factors or using a non-representative sample. Moreover, all were restricted to an adult sample. We present the results of a cross-sectional epidemiological study assessing the association of organic food consumption with BMI and obesity in a representative lifespan French sample (INCA3 study). Objective methods were used to measure BMI, and several potentially confounding variables were controlled for. In total, 1775 children and adolescents and 2121 adults underwent anthropometric measurements and completed questionnaires concerning their dietary habits and lifestyle. Unadjusted models systematically revealed negative associations between organic food consumption and both BMI and obesity across all age groups. These associations tended to remain statistically significant even after controlling for several confounding variables concerning socio-economic status, quality of the diet and physical activity. The effect sizes were, however, small. These data confirm the association between organic food consumption and obesity during both childhood and adulthood. Evidence from randomised controlled trials is required to investigate causality between organic food consumption and lower BMI or obesity rate.

Price premiums are considered as major purchase barriers for organic products and therefore may prevent organic market growth. For wine, however, prices take a double and conflicting effect: they also serve as quality signal for consumers. Therefore, it is of high relevance to examine if price is a major barrier for organic wine as well.

Even though many studies already examined price behavior for organic wine through surveys and experiments, it is still to be clarified how consumers’ react to price changes in a real market context. So far, no study analyzed consumer preferences for organic labeled wine in daily shopping situations. Through the analysis of the GfK household panel—a high-frequency data set of extensive population coverage—implications for price setting and price promotions in different market segments can be given.

In contrast to previous studies, consumers’ overall price sensitivity was found to be low for organic wine and consumers’ preferred organic over conventional wine. The effect of price as quality cue or purchase barrier and the effect of an organic label on consumers’ behavior varied between price categories. Organic wine was valued highest in the low-price category, whereas no price premium for the organic label was examined in the high-price segment. Price sensitivity was extremely high for organic wine in the low-price segment, while price functioned as quality signal in the premium segment for organic and conventional wine similarly.

This study verified previous stated preference studies on organic wine through the analysis of actual purchase data. Moreover, new insights for price setting in different price categories were generated through the examination of a large amount of disaggregated data on single consumer purchases.

This article explores how mothers in Turkey respond to the current atmosphere of food fear and the neoliberal rhetoric of the individualization of risks, as well as interrogating the class dimension of the varying ways in which mothers experience pressures regarding feeding their children in an organic manner. The article primarily suggests that mothers adopt different organic food strategies across class divisions—particularly through class-specific definitions of “organic”—so as to deal in stratified ways with the challenges organic feeding brings. It indicates that organic mothering practices have been incorporated into the lifestyle and cultural distinctions of middle-class families and reinforced by rural nostalgia. Contrary to this, ideas about “the organic” and rural nostalgia are mostly translated as “home-made” for lower-class families. Relying on sixteen in-depth interviews with mothers in İstanbul and on an analysis of posts and comments found on a mothering blog, this article offers empirical findings on analyses of organic mothering and risk from a standpoint and location that have been largely ignored in the existing literature. It also contributes to analyses about neoliberal transformations in the Turkish food market and the growing literature on family and neoliberalism under the government of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) by bringing a research-based view on the subjective experiences of mothers into a discourse that is rather political in nature as well as into policy research discussions.

We study consumers’ motivations for buying organic food by analyzing their shopping baskets. Buying organic can be motivated by concern about sustainable development and/or self-interest (considerations related to health or product quality). Pro-social motivation is inferred from the presence of fair trade products in the consumer's basket; consumer self-interest is deduced from the presence of healthy and higher-quality products bearing special quality labels or certifications. Our results indicate that environmental motivation predicts organic food purchases better than health or quality considerations: the complementarity between organic and fair trade products is strongest. In addition, the household's socioeconomic background influences secondary motivations.

The dietary and health traits of organic food (OF) consumers have not been comprehensively described. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with OF consumption. Data were collected from 54 283 participants from the NutriNet-Santé cohort using self-administered web-based questionnaires. Occasional organic food consumers and regular organic food consumers (ROFC) were compared with non-organic food consumers (NOFC) using logistical regression providing an OR and 95 % CI. Adherence to the French food-based guidelines and interactions between nutritional knowledge and OF consumption in adherence to dietary guidelines were investigated. Medical history was also assessed in relation to OF consumption. Compared with NOFC, ROFC were more likely to be vegetarian (OR 9·93; 95 % CI 7·42, 13·29 in women; OR 13·07; CI 7·00, 24·41 in men) and were less likely to be aware of nutritional guidelines regarding meat consumption (OR 0·37; CI 0·34, 0·40 in women; OR 0·41; CI 0·36, 0·47 in men). Compared with NOFC, ROFC had a lower risk of type II diabetes, hypertension and CVD; however, this effect was only significant for men. In contrast, organic consumers were more likely to report food allergies. Consuming OF appeared to affect the relationship between nutritional knowledge and adequate intake of meat/poultry/seafood/eggs and starchy food among both sexes. Our study provides new insights into the diet- and health-related behaviours of OF consumers in a large sample of participants residing in France. This should be taken into account in future studies investigating relationships between health and OF consumption.

Data from a national survey of food shoppers are analyzed by probit and ordered probit models that incorporate elements of Lancaster's product attribute model and Weinstein's precaution adoption process. The models are used to investigate the characteristics of organic and nonorganic food shoppers. Where one shops, food beliefs, and food knowledge have the largest significant impact on the probability that shoppers buy organic food. Among the demographic characteristics, only the lack of religious affiliation, higher education, and youth are significant explanatory variables.

Over the past decade, organic food sales and farmland have grown rapidly worldwide. As the US market for organic food has expanded, anecdotal evidence indicates that imports of organic food have increased. US organic handlers may be importing to meet consumer demand for out-of-season products, as well as products not grown domestically. Handlers may also be importing organic products that are in short supply or to reduce input costs. This paper provides the first examination of imports of organic products into the USA. Data from a national survey of certified organic handlers in 2007 are used to examine the extent, types and origins of imported organic commodities. A Heckman model is employed to investigate the factors that influence an organic handler's decision to import organic products, and the level at which organic handlers import a product. Summary results show that while many of the products being imported into the USA are those that cannot be produced domestically, such as coffee and tropical fruits, some oft-imported commodities are those that can be produced in the USA, such as soybeans, wheat, barley and berries. The summary results also show that organic handlers are procuring almost a half of their imported products from a few countries, including Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia. In the econometric analysis, we found those handlers prioritizing local suppliers negatively affected the facility's decision to import products. The use of a social label, such as Fair Trade, positively affected a handler's decision to import. The size of organic sales was important to both the decision to import and the share imported, with larger firms more likely to import and smaller firms less likely to import. However, once a smaller firm had decided to import, they imported a larger share. Finally, our analysis found that experiencing limited supplies or prioritizing price with suppliers did not influence a handler's decision to import products. Based on the findings, we suggest future research avenues, including studies that address consumer preferences and the impact of increased imports on domestic organic farms.

Consumers appear increasingly interested in how to engage in consumptive practices that lead to a more sustainable food and agricultural system. In this paper, we examine two possible consumptive pathways for achieving sustainability: the purchase of organic foods and/or the purchase of local foods. While there is some debate regarding the integrity and sustainability of organic versus locally produced foods, there is limited information examining the similarities or differences among consumers variably interested in one or the other attribute. Using data from a statewide survey of Ohio, USA, respondents and members of a food cooperative and an environmental and social responsibility organization, a typology is proposed and comparisons are made among different types of local and organic food consumers regarding their attitudes about food, agriculture and the environment. While a large proportion of the survey respondents expressed little or only modest interest in either local or organic foods, distinct groups of respondents interested in primarily the local attribute, primarily the organic attribute, and both attributes are identified. The results reveal similarities and differences across types with the profiles of each type of consumer contributing to a more nuanced view of supporters of these foods that can assist in production decisions, as well as purchasing and marketing decisions among retailers.

This paper reports on the latest contributions to over 20 years of research on organic food consumers. There is a general consensus in the literature on the reasons why people buy organic food. However, there is also a gap between consumers’ generally positive attitude toward organic food and their relatively low level of actual purchases. Product differentiation based on intangible features, such as credence attributes such as organic, in fast-moving consumer goods categories is enjoying rapid growth. However, there are many difficulties with research in this area, including the errors inherent in research that relies on consumer self-reporting methodologies. Further, in relation to organic food, there is a divergence between consumers’ perception of its superior health features and scientific evidence. Fresh fruits and vegetables are of vital importance to the organic sector as they are the entry point for many customers and account for one-third of sales. Further, although there is a small proportion of dedicated organic food buyers, most sales come from the majority of buyers who switch between conventional and organic food purchases. This paper identifies the practical implications for generic organic food marketing campaigns, as well as for increasing sales of specific products. It concludes with suggested priorities for further research.

Companies in the food industry are driven to improve their traceability for several reasons. The primary reasons are food safety and quality. Another is the response to the increased interest among consumers in imperceptible product attributes such as organic, fair trade, dolphin-safe and non genetically modified (non-GMO). Such attributes are hard to distinguish and thus require generally enhanced traceability in order to verify their existence. This has led to an emergent area in which actors engage in gaining and maintaining traceability and communicating it to the consumers. This paper describes the relations between the actors in a supply chain (SC) in the field of organic food systems. It examines the objectives each actor has for gaining and maintaining traceability throughout the SC. The focus on organic relates to the challenge for the companies to ensure this imperceptible product attribute throughout the entire food system. A single case study was conducted in an organic food system providing organic ice cream products. The data collection included semi-structured interviews, observations, a review of internal documents and a survey among the participating companies. The findings illustrate and elaborate on the objectives companies have for engaging in traceability. The objectives identified are divided into three categories: food safety and quality, managing the SC and internal resources and communication with consumers. The survey confirms the results from the interviews that all actors want to engage in traceability. They prioritize the objectives differently, however. The study highlights the value of close relations between the actors when addressing consumer concerns regarding product and process characteristics, such as the imperceptible organic attribute.

Results from research on controversial topics are often interpreted according to the world view of the reader. With conflicting results from different researchers or institutions, it is likely that vested financial interests or adherence to conventional wisdom will lead to rejection of science-based conclusions. An example from the past is the comparison of multiple cropping with monocrop systems, where clear advantages of complex systems are discounted by those committed to the monoculture paradigm. A current example is comparison of organic with conventional farming systems and food products, where food price, suspicion about certification and philosophy about perceived ‘non-scientific’ results cloud the technical conclusions. An emerging example is comparisons of local versus global food systems, where multiple issues including comparative advantage and food preferences obscure the key questions of energy investment, food equity and local well-being. A proposed solution to this dilemma is to instead focus scarce research funds on improving the development of alternative agroecosystems, rather than invest human energy into futile comparisons that are unlikely to convince the skeptics. In this way, more creative alternatives can be explored and greater progress made toward food equity and sufficiency.

Consumers expect organic products to be healthier. However, limited research has been performed to study the effect of organic food on health. The present study aimed to identify biomarkers of health to enable future studies in human subjects. A feeding experiment was performed in two generations of three groups of chickens differing in immune responsiveness, which were fed identically composed feeds from either organic or conventional produce. The animals of the second generation were exposed to an immune challenge and sacrificed at 13 weeks of age. Feed and ingredients were analysed on macro- and micronutrients, i.e. vitamins, minerals, trace elements, heavy metals and microbes. The chickens were studied by general health and immune parameters, metabolomics, genomics and post-mortem evaluation. The organic and conventional feeds were comparable with respect to metabolisable energy. On average, the conventionally produced feeds had a 10 % higher protein content and some differences in micronutrients were observed. Although animals on both feeds were healthy, differences between the groups were found. The random control group of chickens fed conventional feed showed overall a higher weight gain during life span than the group on organic feed, although feed intake was mostly comparable. The animals on organic feed showed an enhanced immune reactivity, a stronger reaction to the immune challenge as well as a slightly stronger ‘catch-up growth’ after the challenge. Biomarkers for future research were identified in the parameters feed intake, body weight and growth rate, and in immunological, physiological and metabolic parameters, several of these differing most pronounced after the challenge.

Research focused on consumer behavior and attitudes toward organic, small-scale and locally produced foods can help organic producers understand consumer values, and in turn develop production and marketing approaches that match these values. This research on New England area food shoppers included focus groups, individual interviews, and a mail survey, all of which helped us to identify relationships between organic food buying and consumers' views of the food system. Comments made in focus groups and individual interviews revealed a frequent blending of the concepts of local, small-scale and organic, and their associated benefits. Subsequent mail surveys identified similar tendencies, although respondents made some distinctions among the reasons why they bought food from the three farm categories. When there were differences, respondents tended to attribute greater importance to reasons to buy from local farms, as compared to organic or small farms. The six questions for which the differences across farm categories had the lowest P-values were related to the environment, rural economy, rural landscape, farmers, product freshness and product taste. However, freshness, taste, nutritional quality and safety were some of the most compelling reasons that were attributed to all three farm categories. The challenge for the small, local and organic producer will be to continue to hold the consumer's attention as the general perception of organic farming shifts to a more industrialized model.