Page Last Updated: May 20, 2005

This report presents the results of the Maritime Organic and Free Range Product Food Consumer Study. This study included a literature review, a consumer telephone survey, a series of retail produce and meat managers interviews, and interviews with foodservice personnel. The secondary research consisted of Ontario, California and Germany, whereas the primary research was conducted in the Maritime provinces. The main objective of this study was to:

Investigate the organic, natural food, and free range markets to determine size, market potential and market aracteristics.

More specifically, the study sought to:

Review several jurisdictions (i.e. California, Ontario, Germany) with the view to providing definitions of "organic" and "free range" terminologies, and collecting product market segment descriptions and information on market size, standards and regulatory criteria. This information will be used to guide the development of survey instruments, as well as to provide background and depth to the final report;

Profile the attitudes, beliefs and purchasing practices of organic and free range product consumers in the Maritime provinces;

• Where do organic consumers purchase product? (direct from producers, farmers' markets, supermarkets, health food stores, etc.)
  
• Are there difficulties in sourcing organic products?
  
• Are there premiums paid for organic products and, if so, what percentage?
  
• Frequency of organic home gardening and preserving;
  
• Reasons for purchasing organic, i.e. health reasons, environmental concerns, etc.

  Quantify the size of the organic and free range market in the Maritimes;

  Assess Maritime retail store produce and meat manager perceptions of the organic and free range markets;

• Do they believe the organic and free range markets are growing in the Maritimes?
  
• What kind of consumer feedback do they receive concerning organic and free range products?
  
• Do they have any insight concerning either the organic and/or free range markets?

  Assess foodservice personnel perceptions of the organic and free range industry;

• Do they believe the markets for organic and free range products are growing at the foodservice level?
  
• Do they have organic and/or free range items on their menus and, if so, what items?
  
• Do they have many requests for organic and free range items?
  
• Do they have any insight concerning the organic and/or free range markets?

  Assess future market potential of the organic and free range product industry;

• What is the potential for growth?
  
• For which type of products is this growth potential the greatest?
  
• From which segment of the market (i.e. market description) is the potential?

Develop recommendations for further development of the organic and free range product industry in the Maritimes.

This report presents the results using a combination of tables, graphics, statistical analysis, and descriptive text in two major sections. The first section addresses the issues surrounding organic produce, meat and poultry; the second examines the issues surrounding free range poultry and poultry products. Included in each main section are the following sub-sections: literature review, estimating the current and future market, and describing the current market.

Prepared by Omnifacts Research Limited