??????????Consumer’s awareness and organic consumptionDr. Eva Sternfeld ??CIM Integrated Expert at the ChinaEnvironment and Sustainable DevelopmentReference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)1
⤪✨⬬☭ⸯ〱㈳?Fast development of China’s organic agriculture and food production????????????Dramatic increase of land under organic management?:?2000?2006???????45???2???Ha???From 2000 to 2006, China has moved form 45th to 2nd position in the world innumber of ha’s under organic mio mio mio haChina from4000 ha (2000) mio mio ha(2006) mio ha20072
??But:⩌䵎㬼䬳㐷佐兒?Main driver for the development is rising internationaldemand⤪✨⬬佐䭔啖?2006?35?奚/% ?唾China’s organic agriculture market is mainly export oriented(350 million US $ in 2006 or % of the agricultureexports)??Whereas:???????????????????%Domestic market for organic food is insignificant: % ofthe domestic food market3
•?????????????????? Domestic marketconcentrates in Beijing,Shanghai, Guangzhou•????????????????????????? Main consumer groups:expatriates, youngprofessionals with highincome, parents with highincome and kids4
㌴眷硹Reasons for slow development¥穻簡∣絾缧⠭? Majority of Consumers don’t know about organic food¥膂␥⚃蒅虽螈 Environmental awareness/health concerns not prevalent????????????Matthias Meyer 2007?Results from a small not representative survey (Matthias Meyer 2007):“???????” ?“????”?“??”?“?????”?“???”??“????”“Ordinary food isn’t very safe” Do you “strongly agree”, “agree”, not reallyagree”, “disagree’ or “strongly disagree”??????????????????StronglyagreeNot really agreedisagreeStrongly disagreeagreeO %8 %74%13%4%5
㌴眷硹Reasons for slow development¥????????? Consumers are confused of labels¥???????90???????????Greenfood well established since 1990s and can be bought atmany places¥?“????”???????????? whereas “organic food” is an introduced “foreign” concept andnot very
ꮬꞭ꺯綉誋谷憍踽2007??46?낱⍁25-34??74%Results from a small (not representative) survey (2007) 46 respondents, 74%between 25 and 34 years•“?⠭?”?뒧綵똡∣ The expression “organic food” does not sound very appealing toconsumers:%Questionnaire: Mathias Meyer 2007: Organic Food in China: An organic revolution?7
•?????????????“????”?60%?????????????????????????“????”????????•None of the names sound very appealing to the expression “Natural food” (60%)Sounds mostappealing, followed by Green Food and organic the name “Organic Food” sounds
㌴眷硹Reasons for slow development•穻粷趎⍽繿썽쓅“?⠭?”?웇泈?㟊쬧⠭聋럌쵵컏⿐䇑쳍켮䇑?퍁풕䆛鳃⍽헖膂??•The majority of the people asked in the mentioned survey what“organic food” means did not know or was not clear about themeaning. The rest answered by defining organic food beingcontrolled by chemists, chemical-free, unpolluted, safe, green, or notharming the
????????? Reasons for buying organic food10Source: Meyer 2007
¥莄ퟘ䮥꘧⠭耷佐硹㵽㕋쮭?莄80% ?⍋쭳琷莄? 80% ) Health concerns seem to be the predominant reasons forbuying organic food (either for one’s own health 80% or forone’s child 80%)¥풕?70%???61%)?䯟倷硹 Food safety reasons (70%) and clean packaging (61%) arealso very important¥膂飡倽35%? Protecting the environment is very important for 35%.¥㟥飡倽30%???⛨35% Reasonable price is very important for 30% where as goodvarieties and convenience is important for 35%11
⤪✨嵞䵐What is needed to promote the Chinese organicfood market?¥ ?䔡∣␥䇲丽?䄡∣䇹ﰫ幁﴾Promote consumer’s awareness, create demand (including PR,consumer’s training, organise visits to farms etc.¥ ?⠭?-?萯?™Create an image for organic food- healthy living¥⬬膂⌤┦✨⭞⌽✨쮁苢?⤪?Agri-environment programs to support organic farmers (as they areprotecting the environment)¥??ⰭImprove the marketing system¥?✨ⶀ⼰??꺖?? Make organic food visible (standardized logo)12
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)™⍍偾罭쯮꘧⠭胰Consumer Information needed:Why buy organic food?•??? It is SAFER•??? It is HEALTHIER•??? It TASTES BETTER•????????????????? It is GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (without theusual hidden costs of environmental degradation)•????????? It is ETHICAL (animal husbandry)•??????????????? It SUPPORTS RURAL COOPERATIVES ANDSMALL FARMERS (local produce)13
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)CESDRRC 㔶㜥?CESDRRC and organic food•?????????? Promote environmentally friendly agriculture•???????????Provide information for concerned consumers•?????????????? Bring organic farmers and concerned consumers together14
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)CESDRRC 㔶㜥?CESDRRC and organic food•2002 ????????????? 2002 first consumer guide for the Beijing region•2005-2006 ?BioFach??“??????????” 2005 - 2006 cooperation with BioFach „information campaign topromote organic food•???????????? Seminar on marketing of organic food•?2005????“?????”?????? Since 2005 „Organic Trends“ electronic newsletter15
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)㤺㘶㜥??Where can I find organic food?•CESDRRC ??????CESDRRCOrganic Food Directory•?????“?????”?????CESDRRC@ ? Regular updates in “OrganicTrends” newsletter (subscribe at‘ORGANIC TRENDS’CESDRRC@)•????????????Organic Food Directoryfor China 2007 Join Beijing organic consumersnewsgroup?????????2007: organic food directory provides lists of supermarkets, restaurants, home deliveryservices and farms that sell/ serve organically grown food in China. This list is probablyp/befar from complete and will be updated regularly, so please let us know if you know ofijing_organic_consumersadditional addresses and/or have found CESDRRC Team, Beijing•?????: aiwastar@./Fax: 010-84636353Web:
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)㘷┸㬼Prospects for organic food•?????????????? Large-scale organic food development planned for the near future•????5% ????? Planners envisage 5% global market share•????????????????“??????”?? Specialised organic supermarkets, homedelivery etc. createmarket - „organic life style“17
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)??????Prospects for organic food•??????????????????????People more and more concerned about food safety, environmentalprotection and animal health•??????????????????????????????????????Reports about rising cancer rates, food poisoning, fake products andenvironmental pollution make consumers suspicious of conventionallyproduced food•??????????????? SEPA??????Conventional agriculture major cause for soil and water pollution ?SEPA promotes organic agriculture18
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre (CESDRRC)Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM)Thank you!Cesdrrc@
