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The Significance of Consumer’s Awareness about Organic Food Products in the United Arab Emirates

Author

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  • Safdar Muhammad

    (Department of Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551 Al Ain, UAE)

  • Eihab Fathelrahman

    (Department of Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551 Al Ain, UAE)

  • Rafi Ullah Tasbih Ullah

    (Department of Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551 Al Ain, UAE)

Abstract

Awareness about negative externalities generated by conventional farming is gaining momentum with consumers around the world, opting for alternatively, namely organically, produced food products. Information about consumers’ awareness is an essential element for farmers and marketing agencies to successfully plan production that can capture a greater market share. This study discusses effective factors influencing consumers’ awareness about the benefits of organic food in the United Arab Emirates. Sample data and ordinary least square (OLS) regression techniques are applied to delineate factors influencing consumers’ awareness about organic food. The results from this regression analysis highlight the importance of specific socioeconomic determinants that change awareness about organic food products in United Arab Emirates (UAE) households. This study finds that awareness about organic food is influenced more effective factors such as gender, nationality, and education as well as income, occupation and age. These research findings apply to other economies and societies that have an increasing per capita spending on organic food, but also where people are highly sensitive to information provided about organic food. Therefore, these results are important to these research beneficiaries including food marketing planners, researchers, and agricultural and food policy makers.

Suggested Citation

  • Safdar Muhammad & Eihab Fathelrahman & Rafi Ullah Tasbih Ullah, 2016. "The Significance of Consumer’s Awareness about Organic Food Products in the United Arab Emirates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:9:p:833-:d:76501
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Camelia F. Oroian & Calin O. Safirescu & Rezhen Harun & Gabriela O. Chiciudean & Felix H. Arion & Iulia C. Muresan & Bianca M. Bordeanu, 2017. "Consumers’ Attitudes towards Organic Products and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Malkanthi, S.H. Pushpa & Rathnachandra, S.D. Dilini & Weerasinghe, W.A. Ruwani N., 2021. "Consumers’ Awareness on Organic Food: Case of Urban Sri Lanka," Problems of World Agriculture / Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, vol. 21(4), December.
    4. Szymon Dziuba & Anna Cierniak-Emerych & Blanka Klímová & Petra Poulová & Piotr Napora & Sylwia Szromba, 2020. "Organic Foods in Diets of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, February.

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