Three food groups, which are central in the Norwegian diet, were chose
n for investigation of consumer valuation of quality: fruits and veget
ables, potatoes, and meat. Most consumers prioritize freshness, taste
and nutritional value. Those consumers who gave priority to environmen
tal aspects were least satisfied with the quality of these products. A
further investigation of consumer relationship to environmental aspec
ts of food was made through analyses of the characteristics of consume
rs who 1) put priority on environmental aspects in their quality valua
tion of food, 2) are willing to pay an extra price for foods produced
in an environmentally sound manner, and 3) buy these products today. T
he results showed that women are more likely to prioritize environment
al aspects in their quality evaluation of food, and they are more like
ly to buy these products, than men. People in the highest educational
group were also more likely to put priority on environmentally sound p
roduction. There were geographical differences; people living in Oslo
and Northern Norway were least likely to put priority on ecological pr
oduction. There was no independent effect of income, occupation or age
. However, the reasons for buying foods from environmentally sound Pro
duction were different in the various age groups. The youngest age gro
up based their buying behavior on the considerations for the environme
nt and animal welfare, whereas consideration for own health was the mo
st prominent reason in the oldest age group. The results indicate that
many consumers are interested in foods produced in an ecologically so
und manner, but they are not willing to pay the present high prices fo
r these products. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd