Bridging the Intention–Behavior Gap in Organic Food Consumption: Empirical Evidence from China

Abstract

The transition to a low-carbon economy emphasizes the importance of green and low-carbon consumption; yet, there is often a discrepancy between consumers’ intentions and their actual behavior regarding organic foods. This study aims to identify strategies to bridge this gap. The research model of organic food consumption intention and behavior is constructed, and a structural equation model is used to test the research hypotheses based on a valid sample of 480 residents of Guangdong Province through an online questionnaire survey. Further, the intention‒behavior gap is defined and its determinants are investigated through multiclass logistic regression. Finally, we categorize and forecast the alignment between consumption intentions and behaviors using machine learning algorithms. The results reveal that attitudes, social interactions, and cognitive information play crucial roles in aligning intentions with behaviors. By enhancing social information exchange or improving cognitive understanding, consumers can reduce their intention‒behavior discrepancy. This research offers valuable policy recommendations for fostering green consumption among residents from various perspectives.

Keywords

• organic food consumption
• theory of planned behavior
• structural equation model
• intention‒behavior gap
• multinomial logistic regression