New Zealanders' Sentiments and Attitudes Towards a "Beyond Organic" Food Production System

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Consumer Behavior
• Food Systems

Background:

• Understanding consumer perceptions of novel food production systems is crucial for market acceptance.
• Biodynamic practices represent a holistic approach to agriculture, integrating ecological and social aspects.
• Cross-cultural comparisons provide insights into regional variations in food preferences and values.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate New Zealand consumers' attitudes towards a "beyond organic" food production system based on biodynamic principles.
• To compare New Zealand consumer sentiments with those from Australia, Singapore, the UK, and Germany.
• To identify specific elements of biodynamic farming that resonate positively or negatively with consumers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel consumer research methodology: text highlighting.
• Calculated consumer sentiments (liking minus disliking) for individual sentences describing the food production system.
• Compared results with previously published data from international consumer groups.

Main Results:

• New Zealanders exhibited a wide range of sentiments, from +46.9 to -19.0.
• Positive responses were associated with "balanced farming," "soil fertility," "biodiversity," "ecosystems," and "guardians of the land."
• The most positively received sentence highlighted farmer responsibility for soil, water, and wildlife to build healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.

Conclusions:

• New Zealand consumers demonstrate a strong affinity for biodynamic farming's ecological and community-focused aspects.
• Compared to other nations, New Zealanders appear more supportive of farmers and the agricultural sector's role in local communities.
• Text highlighting is an effective method for gauging nuanced consumer responses to complex food production systems.