Although the market of organic food products is continually growing, in scientific literature it is noticeable that consumers’ knowledge about these products is insufficient. Therefore, measures to reduce this shortage must be found. After the activation of direct food sales in Lithuania, the questions of consumers’ informing about organic food products and possible measures to rise the awareness should be explored. The purpose of the survey is to find out what information about these products consumers lack and what information sources they choose most often. In order to reach this purpose, systematic analysis of scientific literature was carried out and more than 500 inhabitants of Vilnius were interviewed in November 2010. The theoretical results of the survey show that in most countries consumers lack information about organic food products. The inhabitants of Vilnius mostly lack information about the conditions of farming and production of organic food as well as about the composition of a certain buyable product. In the respondents’ opinion, television and information on product labels are the most acceptable sources of the informing on these products; only 1% of respondents think that weeklies and magazines are the main source. As concerns three the most important information sources for consumers, the estimates have slightly changed. Some recommendations were given to potential initiators of informing by the research. This creates additional preconditions to select appropriate measures and a number of consumer communication channels in order to make these products more known.
Key words: organic food products, consumers’ information.
JEL codes: M300; M310; M370; M390; I18.
Skulskis, V; Girgždienė, V; Stankaitytė, B. Vartotojų informavimo apie ekologiškus maisto produktus svarba ir šaltiniai // Vadybos mokslas ir studijos - kaimo verslų ir jų infrastruktūros plėtrai = Management theory and studies for rural business and infrastructure development / Lietuvos žemės ūkio universitetas. Ekonomikos ir vadybos fakultetas. Akademija, 2011, nr. 3 (27), p. 166-175, ISSN 1822-6760 (EBSCOhost: Business Source Complete, Central & Eastern European Academic Source; Ulrich’s).
