Authors: A.O. Dipeolu; B.B. Philip; I.O.O. Aiyelaagbe, S.O. Akinbode; T.A. Adedokun
As. J. Food Ag-Ind. 2009, Special Issue, S57-S65
Abstract
The move to organic agriculture which has gripped the developing world because of the harmful effects of the use of agrochemicals and inorganic fertilizers has reached Nigeria even though the issues of food adequacy still hold sway for a large number of consumers.
Four years down the line that the Organic Agriculture Project in Tertiary Institutions of Nigeria started, this study was carried out in order to determine the response of randomly selected consumers in a community where organic vegetable production is growing. The study also sought to determine the consumer
willingness to pay for organic vegetables and the factors that influence the decision. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The respondents were mainly male, married with mean household size of five and mean age of about 40 years. Most (65.8%) of them had either Masters or Doctoral degrees. Most of the respondents said they had prior knowledge of organic farming, had seen and eaten organic vegetables before. The knowledge is probably based on management practice of farmers in the area whereby vegetables are grown with little or no use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. They certainly had little knowledge of certified organic vegetables. About a third of them were willing to pay extra for organic vegetables. The mean premiums they were willing to pay ranged from 23% for cucumber to 73% for ugwu (fluted pumpkin). Many of the respondents agreed with the healthier, better quality characteristics of organic vegetables. This shows that in the event of extensive cultivation, there is a ready market
in the south western part of Nigeria. It is suggested that more education be given on the distinction between certified and non-certified organic food.
Keywords: vegetables, consumer awareness,perceptions, willingness to pay