Understanding the Intention to Purchase and Not to Purchase Organic Food among Students: Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

Objective: Organic food is purchased by consumers because they believe in the product's excellent quality. Sustainable farming appears to improve health and lower the likelihood of developing chronic diseases. This study attempts to investigate the primary elements that influence students' decision to buy and not buy organic food at King Faisal University (KFU). Method: This research uses the quantitative research method. A sample size of 182 students were chosen to complete this study. Data was collected through structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were sent through the formal students' emails from May 20th, 2023 to September 6th, 2023. We used SmartPLS 4 to assess the hypotheses of this study. Results: This study finds some evidence like a positive significant effect of Organic Food Awareness (OFA) on the Purchase of Organic Food (BIB) (H1= β=0.894; p< 0.1), and an insignificant effect of OFA on the Behavioral Intentions to Purchase Organic Food (BIB) (H2= β=0.157; p > 0.01). Conclusion: Universities should improve the Students' awareness of organic food. This leads to a decrease in their exposure to dangerous chemicals by eating organic food, potentially lowering their risk of health issues such as allergies, hormonal disruptions, and some malignancies. This study has social, economic, and academic implications. In addition, it comes in line with the sustainability initiative. Organic farming practices promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.