The relationship between the perceived product sustainability of organic food and willingness to buy: a parallel mediation effect of product traceability and consumers’ environmental concerns

Consumers have changed their purchasing and consumption habits towards organic food, motivated by health reasons, ethical and environmental considerations. They now seek more natural, high-quality and healthy food, which is also environmentally friendly. This study aims to investigate consumer choice behavior for organic food, by deepening the exploration of how the perceived product sustainability of the organic foodstuff shapes both consumers’ traceability importance and environmental concerns. It was based on an online survey and obtained the research data from 239 consumers selected by convenience sampling. A parallel mediation model was used to analyze the data. The results show that the consumer’s perceived product sustainability of organic food positively affects the consumer’s willingness to buy. They also assess the role of product traceability and consumers’ environmental concerns in driving organic food purchasing decisions. By deepening the analysis of factors shaping consumer attitudes, this study helps firms in the food industry to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly, improving product traceability to increase consumers’ confidence in the organic food they purchase. Firms could foster organic consumption, by educating consumers about the environmental benefits of their products, while acting on consumers’ awareness and consciousness.