Organic food markets continue to grow worldwide despite inflation, economic uncertainty, and changing consumption patterns. According to recent international statistics, global organic food sales reached around €145 billion in 2024, with particularly strong demand in Europe and North America (Willer et al. 2026). Governments and international organisations increasingly promote sustainable food systems as part of climate and biodiversity strategies.
But what actually motivates consumers to buy organic food?
Most marketing campaigns focus heavily on personal health benefits: fewer pesticides, «natural» ingredients, and safer food. Yet scientific evidence that organic food is substantially healthier than conventional alternatives remains mixed and inconclusive (Bhagavathula et al. 2022; Vigar et al. 2019). By contrast, the environmental benefits of organic farming, including biodiversity protection, reduced chemical use, and improved soil health, are much better documented (Boschiero et al. 2023; Guo et al. 2022).
This creates an important question for both policymakers and businesses: are organic food being marketed around the wrong core message?
Our recent study examines how consumers perceive the value of organic food and whether different communication strategies can change those perceptions.
Consumers associate organic food primarily with health
We conducted an online experimental survey of 1,019 consumers in Ukraine. Participants were randomly divided into three groups:
· a control group;
· a group exposed to information about health benefits of organic food;
· and a group exposed to information about environmental benefits of organic farming.
The results show that health remains the dominant association with organic food. Nearly three-quarters of respondents linked organic food with «fewer harmful substances and pesticides» and «better health». Environmental benefits were recognised, but less strongly. Importantly, however, consumers did not completely separate health and environmental values. More than half of respondents ultimately considered both dimensions equally important.
Figura 1: Experimental study of organic food message framing
Brand communication reinforces the «health halo»
To better understand where these perceptions come from, we also analysed communication strategies of leading organic food brands in Ukraine. We examined official websites, packaging, slogans, mission statements, and promotional messages.
The pattern was clear: health-oriented communication dominated brand positioning. Messages such as «healthy», «safe», «natural», and «free from harmful additives» appeared far more frequently than references to biodiversity, climate, soil protection, or ecosystem sustainability. Environmental claims were usually presented as secondary background information rather than the central value proposition.
This matters because repeated exposure to health-centred messaging can create what researchers call an «organic halo effect» – the tendency to automatically perceive organic products as healthier regardless of their actual nutritional profile (Richetin et al. 2022). Such communication strategies may unintentionally create long-term risks for consumer trust. If scientific evidence continues to question strong health claims, consumers may eventually perceive organic branding as exaggerated or misleading.
Environmental messages can change consumer behaviour
One of the most important findings of our study is that communication framing matters.
Participants who received information about the environmental benefits of organic farming became significantly more willing to purchase organic food for environmental reasons. In fact, environmental messaging proved more effective at increasing sustainability-oriented purchasing intentions than health-focused messaging.
This suggests that consumers are responsive to scientifically grounded environmental communication, even in markets where health motives traditionally dominate (for example, Ukraine).
The results also indicate that environmental and health motivations are not mutually exclusive. Consumers who reported stronger healthy lifestyle orientations were also more likely to support environmentally motivated purchases. In other words, sustainability and self-care often reinforce rather than compete with each other.
The Ukrainian case offers broader lessons
Although our study focuses on Ukraine, the findings may be relevant far beyond one national market.
Emerging organic markets often rely heavily on simplified “healthy food” narratives because these messages are easier to communicate and commercially attractive. However, this approach may underutilise one of organic agriculture’s strongest advantages: its environmental legitimacy. At the same time, Ukrainian consumers demonstrated substantial openness to environmental framing once relevant information was provided. This suggests that consumer awareness is not fixed but can evolve through more balanced and evidence-based communication.
For producers, this may ultimately become a competitive advantage. Brands that successfully integrate environmental transparency into their communication strategies may strengthen consumer trust and differentiate themselves in increasingly crowded organic markets.
Why this matters for policy
These findings have important implications for food policy and sustainability communication.
First, they suggest that policymakers should invest more actively in environmental education related to food systems. Many consumers still receive fragmented or simplified information about what “organic” actually means.
Second, certification systems and public communication campaigns should place greater emphasis on measurable environmental outcomes rather than vague health promises. Organic farming’s strongest scientific advantages relate to:
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biodiversity conservation;
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reduced synthetic chemical use;
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soil protection;
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and long-term ecosystem sustainability.
Third, the study highlights the importance of communication design in shaping sustainable consumption patterns. Even relatively short informational interventions influenced consumer perceptions and behavioural intentions.
This is particularly relevant in the context of the European Green Deal and broader efforts to encourage sustainable food transitions. If communication strategies remain narrowly focused on personal health, an important opportunity to strengthen environmental awareness may be lost.
Rethinking organic food communication
Organic food has long been marketed primarily as a healthier personal choice. Our findings suggest that this framing may be too narrow.
Consumers are willing to respond to environmental arguments, especially when these arguments are concrete, credible, and scientifically supported. Rather than relying mainly on uncertain health claims, organic food communication could more confidently emphasise sustainability, biodiversity, and ecological resilience.
This shift would not only better reflect the current scientific evidence but could also help strengthen more sustainable patterns of consumption in the long run.
References
Willer, H., Trávníček, J., & Schlatter, B. Organic Eprints – The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2026.
Bhagavathula, A. S., Vidyasagar, K., & Khubchandani, J. (2022). Organic Food Consumption and Risk of Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 10(2), 231.
Vigar, V., Myers, S., Oliver, C., Arellano, J., Robinson, S., & Leifert, C. (2020). A Systematic Review of Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption: Is There a Measurable Benefit on Human Health? Nutrients, 12(1), 7.
Boschiero, M., De Laurentiis, V., Caldeira, C., & Sala, S. (2023). Comparison of organic and conventional cropping systems: A systematic review of life cycle assessment studies. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 102, 107187.
Guo, Q., Shah, M. I., Kumar, S., AbdulKareem, H. K. K., & Inuwa, N. (2022). The roles of organic farming, renewable energy, and corruption on biodiversity crisis: a European perspective. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(11), 31696–31710.
Richetin, J., Caputo, V., Demartini, E., Conner, M., & Perugini, M. (2022). Organic food labels bias food healthiness perceptions: Estimating healthiness equivalence using a Discrete Choice Experiment. Appetite, 172, 105970.
