VALUES, ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDES, AND BUYING OF ORGANIC FOODS

Results from a study with Danish school teachers on their values, environmental attitudes, and buying of organic foods are reported. The objective was to investigate the applicability of the Schwartz value theory and measurement approach (Schwartz, 1992) in explaining specific aspects of consumer behaviour. This theory was developed within a general social psychology framework and has been tested cross-culturally for some 90 samples in 45 countries. Using smallest space analysis, cluster and discriminant analysis, the explanatory power of values for environmental attitudes, and the relationships between attitudes and buying of organic foods were assessed in order to determine which values are relevant for environmentally concerned versus unconcerned consumer behaviour.