Page 71 - 2022

Ph.D.
(Management)
FACTORS INFLUENCING ORGANIC FOOD PURCHASE INTENTIONS
AMONG CONSUMERS OF GUJARAT

Ph.D. Scholar : Patel Harsheshkumar Ramanlal
Research Supervisor : Dr. M. S. Sharma / Dr. Rajen Purohit

Regi. No.: 17276111003
Abstract :
Fostering a culture of organic food purchases contributes significantly to sustainable
food consumption, which is vital for long-term sustainability. Organic farming is being
recognized around the world as a long-term solution that benefits not just humans but
also the entire ecosystem. This is because organic farming encourages the use of natural
elements, which improves soil fertility and crop yield while avoiding the use of genetically
modified ingredients, artificial additives, chemicals, and fertilizers. These benefits of
organic food to the environment, human health, and animal welfare have fueled an
increase in demand for it around the world.

As a result, research on many aspects of consumer attitudes, purchasing intentions, and
behavior regarding organic food has increased. The insights gained from such research
are beneficial to the government in formulating policy and to organic food marketers in
developing marketing strategies to optimize market potential and demand. However, a
review of the literature indicates that such research has been conducted more extensively
in developed countries, while there is a paucity of similar research in emerging countries
such as India.

India’s organic food products export to other parts of the world have increased, while
domestic consumption has remained very low. This highlights the significance of doing
research to identify the “attitude-behavior gap” in the organic food context. As a result, the
current research was conducted to better understand the factors that influence organic
food purchasing intentions in India, specifically in Gujarat.
Key words: Organic food product, Purchase intention, Theory of planned behavior (TPB),
Food safety concern, Health consciousness, Knowledge of organic food product, Trust,
Consumers’ confidence in organic certification, Product quality, Structural equation
modeling.

40