nts and eco-friendly domestic products. Section B – 45 MarksRecognition of Organic SymbolsThe part of survey asked consumers if they had ever seen the symbols displayed on food products before. The results indicate that consumers have a low awareness of the organic symbols with only 6 per cent recognising any of the Irish symbols. Around three per cent recognised the IOFGA logo with one per cent of consumers recognising the organic trust and Demeter symbols. Interestingly the most recognisable logo was the Soil Associations at 15 per cent. This is a UK symbol and is indicative of the level of imports that are present in Ireland. A similar situation was evident when consumers were asked their opinion of what the symbols represented. Only 17 per cent of consumers knew that they indicated organic food production standards. Five per cent said that it meant food that was naturally grown or produced without pesticides. A further eight per cent knew that the soil association logo represented organic food. . The main conclusion coming from this is that 83 per cent of Irish consumers do not recognise any of the main organic symbols on the market and that at least 70 per cent do not know what any of them represent. Importance of Certification Symbols When asked how important it would be for an organic food product to have a label that certifies it was produced under specific circumstances if consumers were considering purchasing organic food, 71 per cent of consumers said it would be very important. A further 18 per cent said it would be fairly important while 5 per cent felt it was neither important nor unimportant. Consumers were then asked if a retailer provided a label on the product that certified it was organic, to what extent would they trust it as a guarantee that the product was organic. Over 37 per cent of consumers said they would trust it completely while 38 per cent said they would trust it to some degree. When they were asked...
