How are Portuguese and Belgians consumers different in their perception of organic food? A mixed-methods approach

The paper presents a comparative analysis between Belgian and Portuguese consumers’ perceptions towards organic food. It draws on data from 20 in-depth interviews using the means-end chain method, linking product attributes to the implied consumer needs, 202 online questionnaires analysed with SPSS and 18 observed participants in store. The results show that although some similarities arise, there are relevant discrepancies on the topic. A main result related to how local origin and environmental reasons are more valued by Belgian consumers when purchasing organic food. Also, while Belgian consumers are more aware of the existence of organic labels, Portuguese consumers value more its placement on the product when buying organic food. Although the study presents some limitations, it gathers relevant information about how these two nationalities may vary with regards to main reasons for buying organic, which categories they buy the most and how they regard organic certification labels. These findings have implications concerning international trade of organic food, how institutions can communicate organic certification labels in each country and future research on the topic in cross-cultural environments.