International Journal of Advanced Research and Development

Authors
Dr. Gunasundari K, Sathiya Bama P

Abstract
The rise of organic farming was driven by small, independent producers and by consumers. In recent years, explosive organic market growth has encouraged the participation of agribusiness interests. Organic farming is not only beneficial for farmers, but it also has proved useful for the dairy industry. Products or foodstuffs produced from organic farming neither do not contain any sort of artificial flavors or preservatives nor do they contain any harmful chemicals. Both consumers and farmers are now gradually shifting back to organic farming in India. It is believed by many that organic farming is healthier; consumers are willing to pay higher premium for the same. Many farmers in India are shifting to organic farming due to the domestic and international demand for organic food. The study focuses to find out the factors which affect the awareness level and knowledge on organic foods among the customers. The study carried out in Ramnad district with 150 sample respondents. The samples were selected based on convenience sampling method. The data were collected by using structured questionnaire and collected data were analyzed using simple percentage analysis, Chi square test, Correlation and Anova. The study has been empirically investigated that socio-demographic profiles and awareness level and knowledge of the consumers are most likely to affect the purchase decisions of organic foods.