CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS ON ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN THE EASTERN CAPE; THE CASE OF EAST LONDON: SOUTH AFRICA

Organic products have dominated markets of most developed nations to the mutual advantage of producers and consumers. To the contrary developing countries have registered little growth in this industry, a stance that probes observers to question consumer perceptions and factors that influence purchase of organic products from an African perspective. A case study of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa was used to explore consumer perceptions and factors that influence purchase of organic products. Using Chi-Square Test of Association the connection between several rural socio-economic factors and purchase of organic products was estimated. The study concludes that the dominant population in small scale farming areas of South Africa was not aware of organic products. Factor like levels of education, income level, price of products, gender, and race were the chief reasons influencing demand for organic products implying that the future of organic products in developing countries is still oblique, for the potential demand is very weak to send an influential resource switch signal to producers.