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Even with the sharp increase in popularity of local and organic foods, nearly one in five consumers confuse the two terms, according to researchers at the University of Florida.

A recently published UF study, in partnership with three other research universities, looks to help sellers and producers of local and organic products to market their messages better, by either reinforcing awareness or dispelling consumer misconceptions.

After spending millions of dollars promoting brand awareness, the organic-food industry found that many consumers confuse “organic” food with “local” food products, said economist Ben Campbell of the University of Connecticut, who was the study’s lead author.

Hayk Khachatryan, a UF assistant professor for food and resource economics, collaborated with Campbell and other scientists in a 2011 online survey of 2,511 people in the U.S., learning that 17 percent believed the terms were interchangeable.

“If consumers can distinguish between local and organic, then by buying organic, they will be able to reduce their exposure to synthetic pesticides,” said Khachatryan, who works with the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, under the guidance of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “However, there is no guarantee that organic is grown locally. Before reaching the consumer, organic produce may travel long distances, which involves some level of environmental footprint.”