Delegates at this year’s Re:fresh Conference will be the first to see the results of a major research project analysing consumer and trade perceptions of organic fresh produce.
Organisers Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) and FPJ are funding the research, which will be carried out over the next three months by The dunnhumby Academy of Consumer Research, Kent Business School, and the results will be revealed and debated at the fifth annual Re:fresh Conference, at the London Marriott on May 8.
The conference theme is Moving the Organic Goalposts, and the research will look to establish which sections of shoppers are buying organics and which are not, what drives them to their purchasing decision, and determine the extent to which the trade understands consumer behaviour, and therefore how in tune the supply chain is with consumer perceptions of their products at the critical point of purchase.
The quantitative consumer survey, of which more details will be released at a later stage, will draw on powerful behavioural data, as well as capturing key findings from specific focus groups including both over-indexing and under-indexing organic shoppers.
The trade survey will be conducted online, and target different sectors of the UK supply chain, to enable an effective comparison between the mindsets of consumers and trade insiders.
Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the FPC, said: “Every year, we try to bring something new to the table at Re:fresh, and this survey is the most comprehensive of its kind ever carried out across the entire spectrum of fresh produce.
“It is also an independent look at the issue, and we have no preconceptions of the results the work will throw up. We feel that there has been a shortage of properly informed debate on the issue of organic versus conventional production, and this has led to confusion amongst consumers wishing to make an educated choice about the food they buy.”
As well as the research, the conference will include a session in which Warwick University lays down the facts about organic and conventional production methods, and the differences between them. Jenney said: “The public relations that has historically surrounded organic production has a significant impact on consumer perceptions about all fresh produce and we believe the trade has an important role to play in conveying the right messages, as individuals, companies and organisations. We want delegates to leave the conference armed with facts that not only blow some of the myths that have built up about organics out of the water, but replace them with a clear, scientifically sound picture that can be relayed to friends, colleagues and whoever else desires this information.”
The Re:fresh Conference will be kicked off by ex-England rugby international and current media analyst Will Greenwood, who will talk about his experiences in rugby, including of course being a World Cup winner in 2003.
He will be followed onto the stage by celebrity chef Rachel Green, who will chair a panel session on organics. Panelists will include Adam Wakeley, managing director of leading supplier Organic Farm Foods, and Patrick Mitton, food industry stewardship manager at Bayer CropScience. Details of further panelists and speakers will be released in the next fortnight.
For more information or to register for the Re:fresh Conference and Awards, held immediately after the conference at the same venue, go to www.refresh.eu
