Purchase Intention Towards Organic Food: Evidence from Generation Z in Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Globally, organic food consumption has experienced a significant increase as consumers become increasingly concerned about the environmental and health implications of their purchasing decisions. On the contrary, the domestic organic food market in Sri Lanka remains underdeveloped. Therefore, the present study examines the purchase intention of consumers in Generation Z toward organic food using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. A semi-structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 300 respondents of aged 18–27 years in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka in 2024. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), awareness, trust in certification, digital influence, and perceived affordability on purchase intention. The results show that attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC significantly predict purchase intention, collectively explaining 47% of the variance. Amongst, PBC emerged as the strongest determinant, highlighting the importance of accessibility, availability, and convenience in shaping sustainable purchasing behavior. The awareness had no significant influence on the attitude, which implies that knowing about a product doesn’t lead to positive intentions. Trust in organic certification, social media influence and affordability perceptions did not significantly affect the relationships between TPB constructs and purchase intention. The study contributes to the literature on sustainable consumption in emerging markets by integrating psychological and contextual determinants within a generational perspective. Improving product availability, enhancing affordability, expanding retail access, and strengthening transparent and trustworthy certification communication are recommended.