Organic food consumers in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A demography analysis

The demand for organic food is growing in developing countries and Bangladesh is no exception to this. The rising use of pesticides, hormones and formalin in conventional food items has boosted the demand for organic food among city-dwellers. This paper aims to study the key demographic variables in the context of an emerging organic food market in Bangladesh. This study employed a random sampling technique and a face-to-face interview was used to collect data from Dhaka city in Bangladesh. A total of 227 completed and valid responses were obtained. SPSS version 23 was used for analyzing data. Frequency distributions, cross-tab analyses and Pearson Chi-square (2) difference tests were performed within and across the dimensions of demographic variables to evaluate differences between variables across respondents’ groups. Findings from the analysis show that consumers of both gender purchase organic food items, majority are married, and have at least college education. Results also show that marital status and monthly household income tend to impact the amount spent per week on organic food and the length of time organic food is being consumed. Findings also reveal that there are only a few sources available for buying organic food items in Dhaka city. Marketers of organic food can use the findings of this study as a basis for market segmentation.