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Summary of our research
Professor Nobuhito Sekiya and colleagues at the Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, have revealed that consumers' taste evaluation and purchase intention for organic rice can be enhanced by cultivation information. While organic farming is gaining attention as a sustainable cultivation technique, its cultivation area remains limited, necessitating the stimulation of consumer demand to expand the market. Previous studies have shown that sensory evaluation of organic foods can be influenced by information, and there is a strong relationship between sensory evaluation and purchase intention. The research group hypothesized that disclosing organic farming information could improve consumers' sensory evaluation of organic rice and lead to increased purchase intention.
211 Mie University staff members were divided into two groups: one group conducted a blind taste comparison between organic and conventional rice of the same variety (Mie 23), while the other group made the comparison with cultivation information disclosed. The results showed that disclosure of cultivation information improved taste evaluation, and providing producer information increased the willingness to eat it again. Contrary to expectations, it was also revealed that consumers who are more particular about food showed more cautious evaluation of organic rice.
These results suggest the possibility of expanding consumer demand for organic rice by effectively utilizing information about cultivation techniques and producers.
This research was published in the international academic journal "Sustainability" on November 19, 2024.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210099
Researcher information
Nobuhito Sekiya
Graduate School of Bioresources Professor
Specialized area：
Crop Science
Current research field：
Sustainable Rice Production (Organic Rice Farming)