Conscious consumption: wishes for the eco-economy

First the good news: Conscious consumption of organic food in particular is increasing steadily - in the spirit of animal and nature conservation. Around twenty percent of Austria's agricultural area is farmed organically, reports Agrarmarkt Austria (WADA). Around seven percent of all fresh produce in the Austrian food trade is bought in organic quality. Both in terms of quantity and value, organic products are increasing in the long-term trend. The highest organic content in the Austrian food trade is accounted for by eggs with 17,4 percent, followed by milk (14,7) and potatoes (13,8). Yoghurt, butter, fruits and vegetables are one of ten organic products. With an organic share of around eight percent, cheese is on average across all product groups, with meat and sausages accounting for three or just under two percent.

Organic Farming

Every sixth Austrian farmer is organic farmer. Around 21.000 organic farmers in Austria ensure that organic and conscious consumption has taken a place in the middle of society. Organic farming has a particularly long tradition in Austria. 1927 was the first organic farmer officially registered, around 400 "Bioniere" made in the eighties of last century, that the first health food stores could be equipped. The big bio-conversion wave followed in the 1990 years. With Austria's accession to the EU, 1995, the framework conditions for organic farming changed; nationwide subsidies supplemented the previously regional subsidies.

Conscious consumption in all areas

Natural cosmetics, organic household products and the fair trade sector are also positive, although the success of organic food is second to none. “One of the reasons for this is a steady expansion of the range. When it comes to conscious consumption, the overwhelming majority say that they buy more products because the selection is gradually increasing, ”confirms Rudolf Vierbauch, Chairman of Bio Austria.

But the surveys of conscious consumers show much more: every second Austrian is willing to pay more for sustainable products, but demands are made: child labor, additives, genetic engineering, animal experiments and environmentally harmful chemicals have long been frowned upon. A fact that the economy is increasingly taking into account: For example, Hartwig Kirner from Fairtrade Austria reports on further successes with “fair” cocoa: “With our cocoa program, in which only the individual ingredient of the mixed product - cocoa - has to be certified, companies become supports to make their offerings more diverse from year to year. The positive effect of this new approach can be seen in the fact that the Swedish bombs (Niemetz), the Mozartkugeln (Heindl) and the chocolate bananas (Casali / Manner) have been using Fairtrade cocoa as an ingredient since the beginning of 2015. "

Conscious Consumption: Global Attitude

 

55 percent of respondents in a survey of 30.000 Internet users in 60 countries said they were willing to pay extra for products from companies that are socially and environmentally responsible. Surprisingly, the expressed willingness to pay is lowest in the richer regions of the world: Only 42 percent of the surveyed North Americans and 40 percent of Europeans were willing to accept surcharges.

Uncertainty and higher price

But there is also uncertainty when it comes to conscious consumption: in particular, credibility, price and lack of labeling are likely to be hurdles that the economy must first successfully overcome. Vierbauch assures: “Organic is the segment of food production that is most intensively and most frequently controlled. In general, it must be ensured that all organic products must bear the green EU organic seal with the white stars as a leaf motif. "And regarding the price, Barbara Köcher-Schulz from AMA says: often deal intensively with their creation and know that the added value they produce is also worth more, i.e. costs more. "And Vierbauch adds:" What is usually not taken into account when asking prices: intensive conventional agriculture is a heavy burden on the economy external costs, such as water and soil pollution due to the use of pesticides. If these effects were included in the pricing, organic products would be cheaper than conventionally produced food because of their positive external effects. "

Conscious consumption: how often do Austrians buy sustainable products and why?

Note: Of course, surveys on such topics are generally more positive. Likewise, the term "sustainable" is still understood very differently. For example, Fairtrade or Regional can also be seen as sustainable. A comparison: Currently, seven percent of all fresh foods are purchased in organic quality. Basically, however, the survey shows a realistic picture that needs to be corrected downwards.

Concerning food conscious consumption is very common in Austria, laggard is clearly the area of ​​clothing. However, the proportion of those who only buy sustainable products is relatively small.
There are a few differences between the product groups in terms of barriers: it shows that the uncertainty and skepticism about credibility to sustainable foods (59,5 and 54,5 percent) is slightly higher than for natural cosmetics (53,4 and 48,1 percent) or eco-clothing (54,6 and 51,1 percent). This is criticized for lack of labeling, low availability and moderate supply of cosmetics (44,6, 42,5 and 31,3 percent) and especially for clothing (46,9, 45,9 and 42,8 percent) higher. Overall, the eco-clothing sector seems to have the most pent-up demand. Accordingly, the willingness to additional costs in these categories is slightly lower.

What prevents you from buying sustainably produced food?
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Readiness and conditions for additional payment in Austria for food.
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