ANTECEDENTS OF ORGANIC FOOD PURCHASE INTENTION: DOES IT MODERATE BY THE RECEPTIVITY TO GREEN COMMUNICATION?

Abstract

Given the global environmental degradation due to conventional food consumption and demand, sustainable food consumption (organic food) counters the deterioration by increasing consumers’ sustainable food consumption. As organic food development in Malaysia remains in its infancy as a niche market, research on green marketing with localised applications remains scarce and does not significantly catalyse organic food demand. The study investigates the consumers’ attitudes, perceived social pressure, autonomy, and receptivity to green communication toward organic food purchase intention. The study applied a causal analysis where a quantitative method was employed. Purposive sampling was employed in the study, where primary data was used for analysis through an online survey. The survey employed five Likert scale measurements where data were collected in Malaysia, and 268 valid responses were obtained. The data were analysed using SPSS and AMOS software. The finding revealed a significant influence of personal attitude, perceived autonomy, and receptivity to green communication on organic food purchase intention. Perceived social pressure did not indicate a statistically significant relationship towards organic food purchase intention. Receptivity to green communication was found to be statistically insignificant as a moderator. Stakeholders and organic food producers may benefit from the study’s detailed analysis of the market’s current state to better predict its growth and ensure the industry’s long-term viability.