Are organic consumers well informed?

Mr Steiner, in your observation, how well informed are consumers about organic products today?
Ueli Steiner: That varies depending on the sender of the information. Basically, we have to distinguish between three sources: Information from industry, associations and the media.

• From my point of view, the industry as well as the retailers and trading companies provide very factual and comprehensive information in advertising and at the point of sale. That is certainly the main reason why organic has consistently prevailed.

"Bee deaths in China show where overuse of pesticides can lead."

• Among the associations, the activities of Bio Suisse stand out, in particular the television spots and also the annual media conference, at which neutral and transparent information is provided. The Swiss Farmers' Union has also taken major steps in the right direction in recent years. It regularly launches reports on organic farmers, and one learns about new developments in the organic scene. The president of the SBC is himself an organic farmer.
• For the media, organic has definitely outgrown its niche. This is borne out by the wide range of reports. From my point of view, consumers are informed in a very differentiated and correct manner in both the print and electronic media.

So you give the information suppliers a good report card. How do you rate the level of information of the average consumer?
Yes, of course, the decisive factor is whether the information is received. I see three aspects here:

• In my opinion, sustainable and environmentally aware people are very well informed today. Attentive consumers take advantage of the numerous opportunities to obtain transparent information. People are buying more and more organic products as a result.
• Among the more sceptical consumers, it can be seen that the information provided is not yet fully effective. Organic products are often compared with products from the region. It is argued that these are better than organic products "carted in" from far away. This point deserves attention, because the consumption of grey energy must always be taken into account.
• In general, many consumers still do not realize enough that organic products are not only healthy for the consumer, but also positive for the environment. The death of bees in China shows where excessive use of pesticides can lead.

How would you complete the following three courses of action with one example each? First: The consumer is well advised and acts cautiously, ...
... when buying cosmetics and cleaning products, he checks whether they are naturally produced or even available in organic quality. Various sustainable labels, such as Natrue (www. natrue.org), ensure that the products are manufactured in an environmentally friendly way and have compatible ingredients.

The consumer acts rather naively, ...
... if he thinks that organic products are only produced in Switzerland. This is not the case. Due to the growing demand, many products are produced internationally and imported into Switzerland.

The consumer acts indifferently, ...
... if it ignores the fact that environmental protection is becoming increasingly important in the production of food. The production of organic products takes into account the very high standards of environmental protection and sustainability. In fact: organic can not just anyone!