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International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Vol. 24, Issue 02, 2020
ISSN: 1475-7192
6073
The role of green products in enhancing the quality of life: An empirical study
of organic food consumption among students of marketing department
Bilal Eneizan
Head of marketing department, Faculty of Economic and Business, Jadara University, Jordan
Corresponding author email: Bilalmomane@gmail.com
Abstract
Improving quality of life is an important motivation for the consumption of organic foods. The
aim of this study was to clarify the effect of organic food consumption on the quality of life.
Questionnaire was adopted based on the literature review and distributed among the students of
marketing department. The sample of the study consists 65 participated. The findings indicated
that improving quality of life for the students is an important aspect for organic food
consumption. The findings indicated that quality of life influenced by organic food consumption.
This study provides information about the importance of organic food consumption in improve
the quality of life for students especially in the places that used heavy usage of chemical
fertilizers and harmful pesticides on the crops.
Keywords: Green Products, Quality of Life, Organic Food Consumption
Introduction
In 1994; Norwegian Ministry of Environment suggested about the Sustainable Consumption that:
it is referred as the consumption of the products that are required for the basic life necessities in
order to improve the living standards and requirement of life; while controlling the high
consumption of natural resources; minimizing the use of chemicals and hazardous materials that
cause pollution and having damage to the environment which will be highly dangerous for the
upcoming generations (Paul et al, 2016; De Moura et al, 2012). It is suggested about the
environmental sustainability that it is the effectiveness to manage and contribute towards the
environmental safety (Jones et al, 2011). In order to save the environment; the need of using the
green consumption through the green technology increases the opportunities to sell green
products and promote green marketing as well (Boini and Oppenheim, 2008). It is the important
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feature that consumer and community should consider the environmental safety so make
purchasing decision base upon green products (Chen and Peng, 2012); this will increase the use
of products that are green and it is a future market as well. Currently; consumption of the green
products is a emerging feature that will increase the quality of life and ensure the environmental
sustainability (Dangelico and Pujari, 2010). The global warming is the case of the damaging the
environment and it is the high focus is being given by the international level to focus upon the
sustainability adequately; and has become one of the focuses of the international community. As
an intermediary link between the life and green products which is considered as the unsinkable
responsibility for the current ecological problems of human beings (Sun & Zhang, 2019).
The global population has reached one billion and six billion in the 19th and 20th centuries,
respectively. These figures are expected to increase up to nine billion by 2050. Economic growth
and increased consumption rates were virtually impossible to achieve prior to the industrial
revolution and the advent of mass production. However, these advancements significantly affect
the environment by inciting climate change, reducing biodiversity, and reducing the supply of
both renewable and non-renewable resources. Different economies strive for growth by
alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life. However, poverty and low living standards
continue to plague several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Reutlinger, 2012). The
increasing concern of individuals toward their environment has been driven by their belief that
the planet is continuously being harmed by their activities. Green marketers casually address
such concerns in their advertisements by featuring elements that are reminiscent of the past, such
as babies, daisies, and planets. However, these marketers are slowly realizing the genuine
concern of their consumers toward the low sustainability of the planet as well as its effects on
their health and children. Consequentially, there are so many issues that are affecting the human
health such as: water and air pollution, land filled, dumping of hazardous substances, changes in
weather, high rate of population growth are having alarming situation for the environmental
sustainability (Ottman, 2017). It is evident that green marketing is the promotion to protect the
environment and increase the human quality of life that will create positive contribution towards
the environmental safety. It is a fact that human and marketers are relying upon the environment
and using the resources that do not damage the environmental safety (Polonshky, 2011).
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The production of organic food is based upon the logic that these products should be economical,
ecological safety, society for acceptable and effective for the environment (Dos Santos and
Monteiro, 2004). In the past authors have suggested that organic food is not only associated with
the agriculture but also in the industries as well but it is a fact that organic products are the only
small segment of the agriculture sector. The organic agriculture is being initiated because the
traditional agriculture is relying upon use of chemicals. It is evident that traditional agriculture is
the highly risky for the human body and has also the adverse impact upon the environment as
well (Dos Santos and Monteiro, 2004). Currently it is possible for the consumers to have the
organic food in order to increase their quality of life and do not impact upon the overall income
(Kirwy and Mecking, 2012). As consumers are awarded about the green products so they are
able to make purchase because people are become aware towards health and environment as
well. It is important that organic food should be having certification; they should be able to meet
the right domain like; according to the law requirement, particular seed should be uses, chemical
free production, manufacturing process and the final packaging of the products (De Fatima
Cardoso et al, 2015).
Consumers are aware about their selection of the food whether they are focusing upon the
healthy food then they have to bring organic products consumption in their daily routine life and
change their lifestyle adequately. Consumer’s perception is that organic food is expensive but it
is healthy for the human body (Pech Lopatta, 2007). As far as the animal welfare is concern
organic food is highly recommended to be used for the humans (Hughner et al, 2007; Lea and
Worsley, 2005). It is also suggested that health issues are the important element to use the
organic products that will motivate the others to use it (Arvola et al , 2003). There are number of
studies findings suggested that health concerns are the motivating element for the humans to use
the organic foods particularly (Chen, 2009; Haghiri et al, 2009). In the Middle East Region there
are no much research done in the area of organic food influence upon the consumer in order to
increase the quality of life. The purpose of conducting this research is to highlight the
contribution of green product consumption (e.g., organic food) in enhancing the quality of life
especially in Middle East region. This study is important because the level of pollution in this
region is high due to chemical wars in Iraq and Syria and to heavy usage of chemical fertilizers
and harmful pesticides on the crops.
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Organic food
As far as the organic food is concern they use the resources that are recycled and preserve the
water and land which will be effective for the upcoming generation; this suggestion is being
provided by the National Organic Standards Board of USDA. Organic products such as; meat,
egg, milk and other products contain no chemical substances and have no use of medicine to get
the high production. Organic food is free from the chemical fertilizers, pesticides and other toxic
material that damage the fertility of land (Shaharudin et al, 2010). The generic or organic foods
are having no indulgence of artificial substance or chemicals that decreases the freshness and
nutrition of the products (Gad Mohsen and Dacko, 2013). Organic food consists upon the healthy
features and having no substance of chemical in it (Suprapto and Wijaya, 2012). The past studies
literature identified the organic food as the generic, pure, high quality and fresh (Chan, 2001). It
is evident that organic food is highly addable features that are being cultivated by few farmers in
the entire world (Canavari and Olson, 2007).
Methodology
In order to collect the data quantitative approach is used. The use of the collected data will be
used as the generalized findings over the whole population. This approach enables the research
to develop the post positive statement on the basis of collected data or information through it.
The research strategy should be selected from the choice of experiment or survey; one of them
should be selected on the basis of theoretical perspective, observation and dimension of the
research. In this researcher will be collected the data in the numbers and then analyzing the
collected data through the use of statistical software (Creswell, 2009). The two main variables
are highlighted in the study that are: Organic Food Consumption and Quality of life.
The survey questionnaire was distributed among the selected samples of the population in order
to get the perception of the generalized opinion of the population (Creswell, 2009). The
questionnaire sending strategy is used through the online administered to get the collected data.
There are two parts of the questionnaire: Part A includes the questions regarding the
demographic characteristics of the respondents while part B includes the question based upon the
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both variables of the study. The selected sample for the study is based upon 65 respondents. The
respondent has provided their opinion on the basis of personal experience in the organic food
consumption.
The organic food consumption has analyzed with the help of five items and adopted from the
source of Goetzke et al, (2014); the other variable quality of life has analyzed with the help of
eight items and adopted from the source of Meiselman, (2016). The response scale is the liker
scale on the base of six scores where high is considered as the high degree of acceptance.
Analysis and results
The respondents’ demographic profile is depicted in the following table 1. Total completed
responses were 65 which were used to perform the data analysis. The percentage of male
respondents is 29.2% while the percentage for the female respondents was 70.8%. Most of the
respondents were between the age of 21–40 years (56.9%), the second percentage is the age
between 41 to 60 years with percentage 20.0%, third percentage the age under 20 years 12.3%
and the age 61 years and over 10.8%. Most of the respondent were having the income between
501 to 1000 USD (35.4%), while income Less than 500 USD were (32.3%), the income 1001 to
2000 USD with percentage 16.9% and more than 2001 the percentage is 15.4%.
Table 1: Demographic Attributes of the Respondents
Respondents’
profile
Frequency
Percentage (%)
Gender
Male
Female
19
46
29.2
70.8
Age
Under 20 years
21–40 years
41–60 years
61 years and over
8
37
13
7
12.3
56.9
20.0
10.8
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Income
Less than 500 USD
501 to 1000 USD
1001 to 2000 USD
More than 2001
21
23
11
10
32.3
35.4
16.9
15.4
Reliability
The scale reliability of the construct was examined using Cronbach’s alpha. The ideal threshold
for the alpha is 0.7 (Pallant, 2011). The scale reliability test for all constructs shows the alpha
value much greater than the minimum standard and all of them were found to be greater than 0.8.
showing a high level of reliability (Table 2).
Table 2 Reliability Analysis
Variable
Items
Cronbach’s alpha
Organic food
5
0.895
Quality of life
8
0.822
Hypothesis testing
The results of hypothesis testing is presenting in the following analysis of regression. The
regression analysis show model summary, anova and coefficient tables. They are explained as
under.
Model Summary
Model
R
R Square
Adjusted R
Square
Std. Error of
the Estimate
1
.337a
.114
.100
6.51149
a. Predictors: (Constant), Organic
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The above table of model summary show the value of R 0.337 showing the correlation between the
dependent and independent variable is 33%. Moreover the value of R-square shows 11.4% which
depicts that the independent variable accounted for the 11.4% variance in the dependent variable.
This value is low however there is only one independent variable in the model hence this value is
still acceptable.
ANOVAa
Model
Sum of
Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
1
Regression
337.665
1
337.665
7.964
.006b
Residual
2628.773
62
42.400
Total
2966.438
63
a. Dependent Variable: Quality2
b. Predictors: (Constant), Organic
The above table of Anova shows the model fitness. If we look at the value of significance it
shows 0.006 which is less than 0.05 showing that the model is fit and significant and it is suitable
to look at the coefficient table as the model is valid to be assessed at the level of individual
variables.
Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
22.795
3.308
6.890
.000
Organic
.451
.160
.337
2.822
.006
a. Dependent Variable: Quality2
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The above table of the coefficient show that organic food has a positive and significant impact on
quality of life. The value of t is greater than 2 and the p-value is less than 0.05. Showing a
significant impact of organic food and quality of life. Hence the hypothesis of the study is
supported.
Discussion and Conclusion
The purpose of using the organic food is to promote sustainability and eco friendly environment
to the human and for the future generations (Ditlevsen et al, 2019). Those consumers that are
highly concern over the environmental sustainability and health conscious prefer to have the
organic food to increase their quality of life and preserve the environment for the generations.
The basic requirement is to have the awareness in the market about the organic food and health
issues then it will be possible for the marketers to conduct the green marketing of the organic
products. It is analyzed that organic products are having high prices as compare to the other
traditional agriculture products (Denver and Christensen, 2015). The entire world has observed
that there is rise in the demand of organic food in order to have quality of life with the healthy
requirements and avoid those ingredients that are based upon the chemical and toxic materials
(Arbos et al , 2010). On the similar findings some other researchers of past suggested that trend
showing the high demand of the organic food in the different markets (Retamales, 2011; Lobley
et al , 2009; Louden and Macrae, 2010;). By observing the current demand of the organic food
among the consumer has raised the international market to bring the organic products for the
consumers (Demiryurek, 2010).
The purpose of the research is to analyze the impact of organic food consumption on the quality
of life for students. The quality of life refers to that the consumers looking for food that improve
their healthy, make them strong, increased immunity, and Reduces disease.
The main findings of this paper indicated that consumption different types of organic food (e.g,
Organic vegetables/salads, Organic fruit, General organic food consumption, Organic milk and
dairy products , Organic bread and bakery goods, Organic meat and sausage products, Organic
cereal , and Organic eggs) effect positively on the quality of life. The results of the study will be
International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Vol. 24, Issue 02, 2020
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motivating factor for the consumers that are intended to make purchase and consume the organic
products in order to increase the quality of life.
Limitations and future research
The sample of the study is only 65 students, thus, future research could be used a big sample. In
addition, further researcher is suggested to examine how the objective of this study is applicable
internationally. Along with this further researcher is suggested to identify the factors that could
help in increasing the level of organic food consumption, can be a positive feature for the
consumers to increase the quality of life through the use of organic products.
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Appendix
Quality of life adopted from Meiselman (2016)
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1. My life in relation to organic food is close to ideal
2. With regard to organic food, the conditions of my life are excellent
3. I am generally pleased with my organic food
4. Organic food give me satisfaction in daily life
5. Organic food is positive element
Organic food consumption adopted from Goetzke et al (2014)
How often do you generally eat the following organic products/foods with additional health
benefits?
1. Organic vegetables/salads
2. Organic fruit
3. General organic food consumption
4. Organic milk and dairy products
5. Organic bread and bakery goods
6. Organic meat and sausage products
7. Organic cereal
8. Organic eggs
