The Impact of Personal Consumption Values and Beliefs on Organic Food Purchase Behavior

Abstract This study examines the nature of the consumption values that differentiate organic food buyers from non-organic food buyers. Specific functional economic values and ideological social values appear to play important roles in shaping individual' retail food buying behavior. Of specific interest is the extent to which the composite set of values thatcharacterizes organic food purchasers differs from the values sets of non-organic buyers.The conceptual framework organizing this investigation is the Theory of Market Choice Behavior, developed by Sheth, Newman and Gross (1991). This theory postulates that market choices are a function of multiple types of consumption values and that each type makes independent, differential contributions in any given choice situation.