Consumption of organic vegetables in Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Author | Sansern Srinieng |
| Call Number | AIT Diss no.RD-18-02 |
| Subject(s) | Vegetable gardening--Thailand--Bangkok Organic gardening--Thailand--Bangkok Willingness to pay--Thailand--Bangkok |
| Note | A disseriation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctoral of Philosophy in Regional and Rural Development Planning, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. RD-18-04 |
| Abstract | There is an innate relationship between consumers' awareness, knowledge and how much price consumers will be willing to pay for any premium food item including organic vegetables (OV) that would ultimately determine whether or how much organic vegetables consumers would consume. Based on this conceptual/theoretical framework, this research analyzed the roles of awareness, knowledge and several other socioeconomic factors in determining consumption of and willingness to pay for organic vegetables in Bangkok. Prior to this, socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing consumers' awareness of envirorunental and health benefits of organic agriculture and organic vegetables were analyzed. Needed information was collected mainly th.rough a questionnaire survey of 384 consumers in selected areas of Bangkok. Supplementary information was collected through interview of selected organic vegetable farmers affiliated with a cooperative who was supplying vegetables to stores selling organic agricultural products in Bangkok and survey of prices of organic vegetables at store where consumers' survey was also carried out. Factors influencing consumers' awareness of envirorunental benefits of organic agriculture and health benefits of OV, knowledge on OV, and willingness to pay a premium price for OV were analyzed using linear regression models. Factors influencing organic vegetable (OV) consumption were analyzed using a logistic regression model. The study also analyzed the gap between actual price of OV and WTP. Marketing margin was analyzed based on data gathered from randomly selected farmers and surveys of vegetable prices at stores where consumer surveys were carried out. Supplementary information was collected from a few members of local OV cooperative. The results of the study revealed household income and respondent's age positively influenced by consumers' awareness of envirorunental benefits of organic agriculture and health benefits of OV. Similarly, female buyers of OV and households with sick members were more aware of envirorunental benefits of organic agriculture and health benefits of organic agriculture. Consumers from suburban areas were more aware of such benefits of organic agriculture and OV. Regarding consumers' knowledge on characteristics of OV and OV certification process, both were positively influenced by greater access to OV information and awareness of health benefits of OV. Moreover, the presence of vegetarian household members was positively influenced by the knowledge on characteristics of OV. Whereas the knowledge on OV certification was positively influenced by awareness of envirorunent effects of agriculture and OV consumption. The analysis of factors influencing consumption of OV showed consumption positively associated with consumers' awareness of envirorunental and health benefits of organic agriculture and OV, respectively, satisfaction with the price of OV, and access to OV stores. Consumption was also positively associated with respondent's age and household income, implying that people with relatively high income were consuming more OV. Contrarily, OV consumption was negatively associated with the presence of children in the household. Prices of OV were range 20 percent lower than consumers were willing to pay and I 03 percent higher than what consumers were willing to pay. Consumers' WTP a premium price for organic vegetables was significantly influenced by their health concerns. The consumers' WTP for all organic vegetables, including Chinese kale, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, and was significant positively influenced by their health concerns, satisfaction with labeling/certification and household income. While the satisfaction with access to market had positively affected consumers' WTP for Chinese kale, and salad vegetables, the consumption of organic vegetables had positively affected WTP for Chinese kale only. Lastly, the presence of children at a household had negatively influenced consumers' WTP for all four organic vegetables under the scope of the study. While the prices of OV vegetables at stores were 500-900 percent higher than the prices at the farm-gate, farmers could get only 10-16 percent price at the sores. This implied that marketing intermediaries and retailers were taking away the major proportion of the income generated by OV at the expenses of farmers and consumers. Policy recommendations have been made to increase the consumption of OV which focus on improving consumers' awareness and knowledge on advantage and disadvantage of organic vegetables, reform the organic vegetable marketing system, and promote farmer's group marketing of organic vegetables. |
| Year | 2018 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. RD-18-04 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Rural Development, Gender and Resources (RD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Thapa, Gopal Bahadur; |
| Examination Committee(s) | opaiih Pongquan;Soni, Peeyush;Weibel, Hermann; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Thailand - AIT Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph. D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2018 |