Vol. 12, Special Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Soniya Khinchi and Dr. Sarla Lakhawat

Abstract:
The market for organic foods in India, which was estimated to be around USD 1238 million in 2022, is predicted to grow at a CAGR of over 22% between 2022 and 2028, reaching a value of roughly USD 4082 million. The sudden COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has also played an important role in the expansion of the organic food market. Organic food is defined as having been produced, cultivated, stored, or processed without the use of synthetically produced fertilizers, hormones, regulators, or other general changes. Consumers are aware of the food they eat and are more focused on quality than price. The present study was planned with the objective to study the knowledge of consumers towards organic food products. Five organic food shops were selected purposively for the study from five zones of Udaipur city. A total of 150 respondents between 20 to 50 years of age were selected, from each zone, 30 respondents were chosen for the study. A self-structured questionnaire was developed and collect data from the respondents. The scoring of questions was done on a two-point continuum i.e., correct or incorrect. Each correct response was awarded a score of one and incorrect a zero. The association of knowledge levels between different age groups and education qualifications and annual income was done using the Chi-square test. Results revealed that the majority of the consumers had good knowledge (64%) regarding organic food products. Whereas 23 percent of the consumers had average knowledge and Only 13 percent showed poor knowledge about organic foods. Most of the consumers knew (100%) the difference between organic and non-organic foods. Around 32 percent of respondents to get updated knowledge and information about organic foods are showing high interest in Internet sources. Using the chi-square test found that there was a significant association in consumers’ knowledge level between different age groups, educational qualifications and annual income.