ORGANIC BOX SCHEMES: FASHION OR DOWNSHIFTING?

Despite numerous general texts on environmental and health awareness of organic box schemes participants, relatively little is known about their ethical reasoning and real practice. This paper presents the concept of organic box schemes as related to theoretical concepts reflecting changes in consumer behavior in modern society and its impact on lifestyles. The case study presents the results of a qualitative study of consumers participating in organic box schemes in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic. In-depth interviews were carried out and analyzed. The results show a low level of knowledge or ethical concern about organic farming and its products. This may suggest that a conscious consumer is rather the ideal and that buying organic food is often subject to advertisement, fashion, and ideological concern about living a healthy lifestyle. However, the elements of a voluntarily simple lifestyle or downshifting in box scheme consumer s lifestyle were discovered.