A Study on Awareness and Challenges of Organic Products Among the Students with Reference to Coimbatore City

Abstract

Organic farming is in a nascent stage in India. About 3.67 Million hectares of farmland was under cultivation, as of March 2020, according to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The growth story of organic farming is unfolding with increasing demand not only in India but also globally. India ranks first in number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming. Denmark and Switzerland had the highest per capita consumption of organic food of any country in the world in 2019.  At present India exports more than 300 types of organic products to more than 20 countries in the world, but it has a less numbers to its own domestic market of organic products. There is a lag in purchasing or adoption of organic products in the domestic market these are mainly because of, the lack of awareness among the consumers or students, its contribution towards health benefits, high pricing of the products, and the availability in the market. And also, to determine the relationship between the kinds of organic products the students buy and its benefit. The findings of the study revel that students agreed that organic products contribute to their health, quality of product, the taste/texture/feeling.  This study analysed the students’ level of awareness and what would increase their level of trust in organic products in Coimbatore District. Thus, awareness acts as a crucial factor in changing the attitude of students towards organic foods.