Market Assessment and Development for Organically Grown Produce in Armenia

Until recently it could have been said that organic farming was an intermittent technique limited to only a few countries. However, in the last few years a boom was emerged which has led to a drastically different situation when this technique is widely used in almost all the countries and is currently flourishing. Armenia is not exclusion in this regard. Armenia has the potential for developing high value organic production of a variety products like: fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, honey and aquaculture products, medicinal and culinary herbs. Appropriate altitude from sea level and the climate create favorable conditions for Armenia to grow a variety of organic fruits and vegetables. In particular, Armenia is rich with apples, apricots, pears, plums, pomegranates, cherries and strawberries. As for vegetables, the following products are expected to be competitive also in foreign markets when produced using organic methods: onion, radish, garlic, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, tomato, eggplant, bean, pepper, carrot, watermelon and many others. The study determines the level of knowledge about organic products in Armenia, analyzes the potential consumers attitudes towards organic foods and reveal the critical aspects that distinguish organic products. The study focuses on the potential Armenian consumer of organic produce. The study will empirically evaluate which demographic characteristics cause consumers to be more willing-to-pay for organically grown produce in Armenia. The likelihood of paying a premium for organic produce will also be evaluated. .