Family Farming Knowledge Platform

Consumer Perception of Organic Food in Croatia

In the past decade, both worldwide and in Croatia, there has been an increased interest in the production of organic products. This is the result of several factors. The most important elements of the organic food industry are linking agriculture and tourism, improving overall tourism, increasing consumer concerns for health, and increasing the area of uncultivated land suitable for organic production. Croatia has a very good platform for creating a specific environmental identity in the eyes of domestic customers and to export organic products to countries with higher standards. Croatia has many comparative advantages for developing organic food production. Geographic conditions for organic farming in Croatia are very favorable. The diversity of climate, soils, crops, the environmental situation and the structure and diversity of economic activities are great advantages for the development of ecological agriculture. However, despite the great importance of organic production from one side and concrete figures on arable area, production volume, there is still a shortage of producers.

Efforts to establish organic agriculture in Croatia are not easy, but they are certainly necessary and can be cost effective. Although in recent years the area of land dedicated to organic food has doubled, this amount is still negligible: only half of one percent of total agricultural land. If these are compared with the share of organic agriculture area in the member states of the European Union, which ranges from five to ten percent, their backwardness is evident. 

Title of publication: The Hungarian journal of food nutrition and marketing
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Page range: 35-39
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Author: SVRŽNJAK, Kristina, JERČINOVIĆ, Silvije, PERČEC, Nikolina, FIRŠT GODEK, Lidija
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Organization: Croatian Agricultural Extension Institute
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Year: 2011
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Country/ies: Croatia
Geographical coverage: European Union (European Union)
Type: Article
Content language: English
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