Consumer Knowledge and Perception about Fresh Fish from Organic Farming in Croatia

Abstract

Along with growing consumer awareness about the impact of food on health, there is a trend towards increasing fresh fish consumption. At the same time, the demand for organic food is increasing in the modern market. Although fruits, vegetables and nuts have the biggest share in the organic food market in Europe, the aquaculture production of organic fish is also growing. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to explore the knowledge and perception of Croatian consumers about fresh fish from organic farming. An online and face-to-face survey was conducted on a sample of 303 respondents. Data analysis (univariate and bivariate) was performed using SPSS Statistics for Windows. Most consumers have medium and low subjective knowledge about fresh fish from organic farming, and objective knowledge about fresh fish from organic farming is low. Only half of the consumers are aware that they can buy fresh fish from organic farming in the domestic market. Half of the consumers have already consumed fresh organic fish, and half are willing to pay a higher price for fresh fish from organic farming. Compared to fresh fish from conventional farming, respondents consider fresh organic fish to be healthier, tastier and to have less fat, but also more expensive and less available.