Two Stages Decision Process Toward Organic Food: The Case of Organic Tomatoes in Israel

We analyzed consumers of organic and nonorganic tomatoes in Israel with respect to their sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes to organic food consumption (tomatoes). A double-hurdle model was used. Here, consumers could choose either to be organic or nonorganic consumers and/or how much tomatoes they consume. Instead of concentrating on willingness to pay (WTP) for a premium (as is customary for many studies), our respondents were faced with a given premium and were asked about their preferences for organic tomatoes. Results reveal that price premium was not an important component in the decision to be or not to be an organic tomatoes consumer. However, it did prove important with respect to how many tomatoes to consume. While previous studies point to health benefits as the main motive for buying organic food, with concern for the environment and taste mentioned as secondary reasons, our study found that environmental concerns were the primary factor influencing whether or not to buy organic, while price and taste were factors in determining how much organic food to purchase.