Explaining organic food continuance intention: evidence of sustainable consumption in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study investigates Bangladeshi consumers’ intentions to continue consuming organic foods as part of their commitment to sustainable consumption. It analyzes the causes of the continued consumption of organic foods using the extended Theory of Planned Behaviour. The goal of this study was to develop a model that highlights the factors that drive Bangladeshi consumers to continue consuming organic foods while taking into account the mediating role of satisfaction with organic food consumption (SOP). The study is based on primary data collected from 397 organic food consumers using the snowball technique. There were nine direct and three mediating hypotheses. Research results ensure that all nine direct hypotheses have been accepted indicating their significant influences on the organic food continuance intention (OFCI) of Bangladeshi consumers. Awareness of the health benefits of organic foods (AHB), food values of organic food (FVO), and sustainable properties of organic food (SPO) make the consumers satisfied with organic food consumption (SOF). Among the three variables, FVO is the most influential followed by SPO in making consumers happy with organic food. Again, if we consider the organic food continuance intention (OFCI), the attitude of the consumers (ATT) is the most influential followed by perceived behavioral control (PBC). SOF has been found to be a significant mediator. Though health awareness, knowledge of the benefits of organic food, and sustainability issues are important in making food choices, Bangla-deshi individuals’ understanding of organic food and sustainable consumption is yet to be up to the mark when compared to other nations. As a result, this study encourages policymakers to enhance awareness through various social initiatives.

Introduction

Nowadays, there is a progradation that excessive production, consumption, over-exploitation of land and resources, and materialist lifestyles [1, 2] pose an increasing danger to the quality of life, human suffering, and biodiversity imbalance [3]. Superficial overconsumption is viewed as a symbol of a “happy life,” “liberty,” and “advancement” in dominant consumerism, and is therefore vital to think about sustainable consumption [4]. This emphasizes the need of environmental conservation and the fact that present consumption habits must not remain as in their current form [5]. Hence, the present health and ecological issues necessitate the most significant shift in consumer behavior in the contemporary world [6]. Being a part of sustainable development, organic food production and consumption must be prioritized.

Contemporary organic food studies have focused on consumers who choose organic foods [7] for individualistic reasons centered on personal and family concerns, where wellness factors predominate [8, 9]. Indeed, the demand for organic foods has grown dramatically in recent times, mostly among rich and well-educated households [10, 11], as educated people have become more concerned about health hazards [12], sustainability, and food security [8, 9].

Organic foods, as opposed to foods, are generated from plants and innovative technologies such as cell culture or fermentation, resulting in increased nutritional content while inflicting less environmental impact [13]. Organic foods are regarded as sustainable food alternatives because they are different from conventional foods in terms of resources, manufacturing methods, and environmental impact [14]. The effective promotions of organic foods depend on consumers’ acceptability.

Consumers are getting increasingly concerned about the sustainability issues [15, 16] as well as their wellness and healthy life [17]. Individuals seeking alternatives to typical foods have altered their eating behavior to make sure a healthy life. Even before the emergence of COVID-19, there was a noticeable growth of sustainable consumption, leading to organic food consumption. The COVID-19 problem has accelerated this tendency since individuals have begun to pick foods that are favorable to their health [18, 19].

Organic food consumption is increasing globally, demanding research into the causes behind this increase. Organic food (OF) is regarded to be healthier and more sustainable since it includes more nutrition and is pesticide-free [20], and consumers have favorable attitudes [9]. Thus, health awareness and food values are crucial factors to consider while purchasing organic food [9]. Previous empirical studies have found that knowledge about the health benefits, food value, and sustainable properties of organic foods had a favorable influence on such consumption. Environmental and health-conscious people favor consuming organic food than regular agricultural products [17]. Again, COVID-19 epidemic has increased people’s health consciousness, which has led to their propensity to continue eating healthy OF [21].

Organic agricultural techniques are ecologically benign and promote a higher level of bio-diversity and preservation of natural resources. Furthermore, it adheres to excellent animal breeding practices and employs manufacturing techniques that fulfill the needs of consumers who want goods manufactured using natural elements and procedures [18]. The ecological manufacturing approach has a dual societal role. Firstly, it is a strategy that has a good influence on the environment, which leads to sustainavle production prcoess and the creation of well-recognized agricultural structures. Secondly, organic farming adapts to shifting market need structures. When people choose organic items, they frequently pay a greater premium than when they select goods produced in a conventional manner [22].

Surprisingly, there is fairly inadequate studies into the factors causing the recent surge in OF consumption in Bangladesh [21, 23, 24]. Among the few organic food studies, Kabir and Islam [21] discussed the behavioral intention to eat organic food in Bangladesh in their comprehensive study. Ferdous et al. [25] and Rahman [26] in their studies concentrated on the manufacturing of OFs in Bangladesh, underlining the need for more study stressing the importance of understanding the consumption behavior. In fact, the majority of organic food studies in Bangladesh are descriptive, and applying cause and effect analysis using a relevant conceptual viewpoint is rare [27]. Moreover, most of the studies are limited to the capital city only. Mukul et al. [28] and Rahman [26], for example, conducted their research just in Dhaka and did not give any theoretical frameworks to explain the behavior of organic food customers [27]. Similarly, based on a survey of Dhaka residents, Prince and Krairit [29] proposed a framework specifically for organic meat consumption. However, Kabir and Islam [21] conducted the first study of its kind to examine the organic food consumption behavior of Bangladeshi consumers in December 2020, at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, by applying the Theory of planned Behaviour (TPB) to explain the consumption of a wide range of organic food in Bangladesh. This study is different from the earlier studies as it is an investigation to explain the continuance intention of organic food consumption by the consumers who have been consuming such foods for more than one year because there is a dearth of such studies in Bangladesh. It is vital to address consumers’ purchasing patterns for the whole spectrum of organic food (OF), which may assist in the formulation of a marketing plan to stimulate OF consumption across the country. On the contrary, the environmentally friendly production procedure of organic food will contribute to the notion of sustainable development. People are more likely to become ill as a result of ingesting conventional food products that include various chemicals and pesticides. Hence, while analyzing organic food continuance behavior, aspects such as awareness about the food value and benefits of consuming such foods, as well as people’s attitudes, must be considered [30]. Most importantly, the exploration of the effect of sustainability propoerties of organic food on continuance behaviour is an interesting phenomenon to study. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the determinants of organic food continuance intention considering the mediating role of satisfaction with organic food.

Literature review

By 2050, the world population is predicted to exceed 9 billion. As a result, food consumption is predicted to grow by 70% [31]. Protein intake is expected to rise by 40–75% within 2050, according to current projections [32]. The ongoing demand for meat-based diets causes environmental damage [33]. Changing the current trend requires reforming the whole process (Röös et al., 2016).

Because of continued economic and demographic expansion, as well as resource extraction [34], sustainability has become a mainstream concern and a component of the national issue [1]. However, its conceptualization remains restricted [34], making it vital to comprehend what it means and how it may be attained from the start [35].

Sustainability is focusing social and economic objectives on human needs and recognizing the earth’s limitations and ecosystem’s vulnerability [36].

Therefore, according to the 1987 Brundtland Commission of the United Nations, sustainable development is “the process by which sustainability [35] is achieved through the integration of economic (profit), environmental (planet), and social well-being (people), aiming at long-term progress [34].” Its goal is to “meet the needs and aspirations of the present without jeopardizing the ability to meet those of the future.”

Various approaches have addressed the relationship between consumptions and sustainability. First, there is what is known as weak sustainability, which is based on an anthropocentric viewpoint [35], in which sustainability is viewed as a reality within the Dominant Social Paradigm [37]. Thus, prosperity and environmental responsibility may coexist by seeking innovative ways to generate economic gain without negatively impacting the environment [38].

According to a second strategy, a strong sustainability based on an ecologically focused vision [35], ecological problems are caused by anthropocentric epistemology, which is why this perspective is connected to the New Environmental Paradigm. In order to establish a new social and environmental order, this strategy, which has its roots in environmental movements, aims to reinterpret our ideas of material consumption, economic success, and progress [39]. As a result, this viewpoint emphasizes research into new categories of ecologically conscious customers and alternative consumption networks, such as consuming organic foods [40].

Consumption habits based on a health-conscious and environmentally conscious mindset can contribute to long-term economic development, sustainability, and a higher standard of life. Aside from economic success, sustainability requires a series of technical, architectural, and social changes that meet current food demands without risking the needs of future generations [41]. Consumers’ health-awareness influences their attitudes about potential health difficulties, namely their proclivity to act forcefully in favor of preventive care [42, 43].

Different surveys of organic food consumers’ perceptions indicated many factors of organic food consumption throughout the world [21]. Bu et al. [44] studied the elements that impact Chinese customers’ perceptions of the healthiness of purchasing organic tea. They observed that tea freshness, customer service in the store, and shop features can all have a significant impact on purchasers’ impressions of organic tea. They also stated that views about the health benefits of organic tea might influence buying behavior. In the future study agenda section, Bu et al. [44] advised such studies in the South Asian region to aid the universality of organic food purchase behavior.

Yin et al. (2010) [45] studied 432 Chinese OF customers and discovered that wages, degree of belief in OF, price acceptability, and health awareness all had a significant impact on organic food consumption intention. Consumers’ behavioural control and confidence in organic products, and their belief that eating OF leads to a healthier lifestyle motivate them to consume such foods. Shepherd et al. [46] conducted a survey-based investigation with 2,000 adults aged 18 to 65 in Sweden. The respondents were questioned about their purchasing criteria as well as their opinions about OF. According to Shepherd et al. [46], the most crucial finding of their study was that the consumers had positive attitudes toward OF. Although customers feel that organic foods are healthier, they argue that the price of such foods should be close to regular foods.

Tarkiainen and Sundqvist [47] investigated the behavioral patterns of Finland’s OF customers in a research. SEM was employed by the authors to explore the impact of organic food consumers’ subjective norms, and attitudes, on repurchase intentions. Aertsens et al. [48] conducted a survey-based study in Belgium and concluded that consumers’ attitudes about the purchase of organic vegetables were generally positive, with the most important factor being consumers’ identification that OF is cultivated without chemical pesticides.

Organic food consumers in the United States, according to Hsieh and Stieger [49], are more sensitive to price variations. They are also more concerned with food safety than traditional customers, and they purchase OFs for such reasons. According to the findings, large firms have greatly increased their OF sales in recent years indicating its future growth potentials [49].

Given that there have been only a few studies in Bangladesh that focus on customers’ perceptions on organic foods, a more comprehensive study is needed to overcome the inadequacies identified in previous studies. For example, Mukul et al. [28] highlighted customers’ perception on organic food by highlighting safety and quality features. They investigated 100 people and discovered that people’s decisions to consume organic foods are influenced by hygiene, cost, environmental friendliness, nutrition, and aesthetics. The adjusted R2 of their model was 0.093, suggesting insufficient predictive power as per Cohen[50]. As a consequence, other aspects must be considered in order to comprehend organic food buying and consumption behaviour. Mukul et al. [28] acknowledged that major limitation of their study was that they surveyed residents of the Dhaka city only. They stated that the study’s findings were not reflective of Bangladeshi consumers’ general organic food consumption behaviour. Thus, by including people from all divisions of Bangladesh, this study would address the dearth of research organic food domain.

Rahman and Mohd Noor [27] analyzed the deficit in OF consumptions research in Bangladesh in the review article they conducted. They claimed that there is a scarcity of study on such an important topic. The problem of food contamination has increased the necessity for a critical examination of consumption behaviour of the consumers of organic products, especially the factors which motivate them to continue OF. As per Rahman and Mohd Noor [27], almost all OF research in Bangladesh are descriptive, with no inferences drawn. They argued that there is little or no application of a theoretical basis for organic food studies that created a demand for more analysis comprising predictive models. Notably, Prince and Krairit [29] sought to bridge the gaps noted by Rahmand and Mohd Noor [27] by constructing a realistic hypothesis to characterize the behaviour of organic meat consumers. They observed that a health, social influence, availability, comfort, and demographic properties such as age, gender, number of family members, and culture all had an impact on organic meat consumptions. Additionally, they claimed that confining their study within Dhaka inhabitants was a disadvantage that requires future research in other areas of Bangladesh. Importantly, they only looked at organic meat consumption, which did not cover the entire range of organic food, underlining the requirement for further research on the purchasing and consumption of different kinds of organic foods. Recently, the comprehensive analysis of Kabir and Islam [21] encompassing the complete spectrum of OFs and respondents from all areas of Bangladesh helped to minimize the dearth of research in Bangladesh in the organic food domain. However, the limitation of their research was the inclusion of respondents mainly from generation Y and generation Z consumers. Furthermore, in their future research agenda section, Kabir and Islam [21] suggested another research to assess the continuance of organic food consumption after a specific period considering their satisfaction with such foods. This study, thus, is an investigation to explain the intention to continue organic food consumption by the consumers who have been consuming organic food for at least one year. Unlike other research, this study includes the satisfaction of the consumers with organic food as a mediator when the role of sustainable properties of organic food has also been examined.

Research framework and hypotheses

Historically, many research have used the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to evaluate people’s behaviour. TPB defines a person’s behaviour as his or her willingness to participate in particular actions [51]. As a result, attitudes (ATT), social norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) are associated with intentions [52]. According to Ajzen [52], the TPB considers ATD to be the most essential element in developing behavioural patterns. TPB has been utilized in a number of studies to examine sustainable product adoption behaviour [53–55]. Many studies in both the developed and developing countries have employed and modified TPB to evaluate consumers’ purchase patterns in the organic food market. Kabir and Islam [21], for example, conducted research by applying TPB to explain the motivations of Bangladeshi purchasers to consume OF. Chakrabarti [56] studied consumer attitudes toward organic food consumption in India. de Magistris and Gracia [80] investigated OF purchase behavior in Southern Italy. Pham et al. [43] studied juvenile purchasing behavior in underdeveloped markets. Nguyen et al. [57] studied the characteristics that impact OF purchasing intentions in Vietnam. Rodrguez et al. [58] employed a survey approach to understand OF spending behavior. The authors applied TPB in all of the above mentioned studies making it a good theoritical framework for organic food research.

TPB is the best choice for such studies, as proven by research from all across the world that favoured TPB in similar studies [59]. However, because there is a scarcity of organic food research in Bangladesh, the extended form of TPB has been used to evaluate OF continuation behavior [1]. Thus, the following research model is designed based on the relevant literature.

Awareness of Health Benefit of organic food (AHB) hypothesis

Previous research has linked consumers’ awareness of the health benefits of organic food to a high frequency of organic food continuance intention (OFCI) [21, 43, 60, 61]. OF consumtions are seen to be a good method to keep a healthy lifestyle and encourage sustainable food consumption [62]. Research on organic consumption has focused on customers who desire to continue using organic foods [7] based on their satisfaction with organic food (SOF), while health-motivated factors are predominant [8, 9]. Indeed, the intention to continue organic food (OFCI), particularly among high-income and high-education families [10, 11], has grown dramatically in the recent years since consumers began to express worry about health concerns [12], pesticide-free goods, and food safety [8, 9]. Based on the above arguments, the fllowing two hypotheses have been proposed.

• H1: AHB positively influences SOF.

• H2: AHB positively influences OFCI.

Perceived Food Value of Organic food (FVO) hypothesis

The notion of value represents the optimization of acquisition cost, i.e., purchasing things that simultaneously possess use value and appealing features [63]. An item’s perceived value (PV) is its worth in the consumer’s eyes. Perceived benefit and cost might be considered as a tradeoff [64]. Customers are more inclined to back to organizations with greater PV [65]. In this research, we divided consumers’ PV of organic food into two categories: non-economic and economic values. When customers acknowledge the non-economic (e.g. nutritive) benefits of organic food and accept its expenses, their sense of PV rises. According to prior research, PV is a factor of satisfaction with organic food [21]. In fact, Satisfaction is positively influenced by PV [66, 67]. Likewise, PV is linked to intention. A favourable sense of PV leads to a greater desire to acquire or consume OF, while a negative view leads to a decrease in such intentions [68]. Therefore, this study hypothesized:

• H3: FVO positively influences SOF.

• H4: FVO positively influences OFCI.

Sustainable Properties of Organic food (SPO) hypothesis

Organic food (OF) buying is thought to contribute to environmental wellbeing and promote sustainability [21, 43, 60, 61]. Consumers’ knowledge of the sustainable properties of organic food (SPO) increases their willingness to purchase OF, even at a premium price [69]. Smith and Paladino [70] discovered that customers’ social and ecological considerations had a positive influence on their consumption of organic food. The research findings claim study found that individuals’ awareness of wellness, socioeconomic values, and sustainability influences their OF purchase behaviour [70]. Other studies have found that SPO had a considerable influence on satisfaction with organic food (SOF) and hence OF purchase intentions [71, 72]. Hence, SPO boosts SOF and desire to consume organic foods leading the following hypotheses.

• H5: SPO positively influences SOF.

• H6: SPO positively influences OFCI.

Attitude (ATT) hypothesis

Technically, attitude (ATT) refers to how an individual retains a favourable or unfavourable perception about something. Researchers have a believe that ATT influences intentions [71, 73–75]. According to various research, individuals who have a positive ATT toward organic food are more likely to buy and consume such items [43]. Several researches in Australia have established a considerable positive relation between ATT and desire to buy OF [70, 76]. According to Yazdanpanah and Forouzani [77], the most important factor in increasing the intention of young Iranian buyers to purchase OF is their ATT. Kabir and Islam [21] observed that ATT has a favourable effect on OFCI in Bangladesh. According to existing research, ATT has a favourable effect on the intention to buy OF. As a result, the following hypothesis is proposed.

• H7: ATT has a positive effect on OFCI.

Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) hypothesis

PBC is the degree to which people believe that they can complete a particular task succesfully [52]. PBC has been identified as a crucial factor in understanding organic food consumption behaviour in variou behavioural research. PBC was discovered to be one of the most significant elements influencing consumers’ willingness to buy pork in China [78]. Similarly, Bredahl [79], de-Magistris and Gracia Royo [80] observed that PBC had a favourable effect on the desire to buy OF. Consequently, we took the following assumption:

• H8. PBC positively influences OFCI.

Satisfaction with Organic Food (SOF) hypothesis

In general, satisfaction relates to the balance of expectation and experiences with a specific product [81]. Furthermore, satisfaction with oF (SOF) is the result of consuming it for a ceratin period with a favourable outcome. It has been demonstrated to be a significant indicator of future behaviour [82]. According to various researchers, satisfaction could also boost customer loyalty [83, 84], resulting in stronger intents to repurchase a product or service in the future [85].

Several research have found that satisfaction has a favourable effect on continuation intention [86, 87]. Furthermore, satisfaction mediates the association between continuation intention and other variables such as AHB, FVO, and SPO [88, 89]. In other words, customer happiness affects consumer trust [21, 90], influencing their intentions to continue organic foods in the future. Based on the above-mentioned arguments, this research suggests that once customers are satisfied with organic foods (OF), their contentment would influence their confidence in OF and its continuation intentions. Thus, this research implies:

• H9: SOF positively influences OFCI.

• H10: SOF mediates the relationship between AHB and OFCI.

• H11: SOF mediates the relationship between FVO and OFCI.

• H12: SOF mediates the relationship between SPO and OFCI.

The research model is suggested in Fig. 1 in light of the above discussion.

Fig. 1.

Research framework

Research methods

The factors influencing the continuation of organic food were investigated using a quantitative approach. To confirm the validity and reliability of the findings, the research was done and reviewed in accordance with standard approaches.

Measurement scale

These assessment items were taken from previous research and were scored on a five-point Likert scale that went from “strongly disagree (1)” to “strongly agree (5).” Three TPB variables—attitude (ATT), perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intention to continue eating organic food (OFCI)—are included in the questionnaire. The extended TPB model includes three latent constructs named “Awareness of Health Benefit of Organic Food”, “Perceived Food Value of Organic Food” and “Sustainable Properties of Organic Food” with three (03) items each. Moreover, Satisfaction with Organic Food is evaluated as the mediator. Table 1 below shows the sources of items of each constrcut.

Table 1.

Sources of the items of constructs

Constructs		Items	Sources
Awareness of Health Benefit of Organic Food	AHB1	To maintain my health, I am constantly acquiring knowledge of organic food and the health advantages of such foods in selecting dietary products	[21, 71, 72]
	AHB2	I consider myself to be someone who is well-informed about organic food
	AHB3	My knowledge on organic food made me believe that such foods are healthy and disease-preventive
Attitude	ATT1	Continuing to consume organic foods is a viable choice for me	[21, 56]
	ATT2	I believe that continuing organic food consumption is necessary
	ATT3	I believe that organic food should be continued for my wellbeing
Perceived Food Value of Organic Food	FVO1	Organic food is of great value to me	[86–88]
	FVO2	Considering its food value, organic foods are worthwhile investments
	FVO3	Organic foods have superior value comparing to the non-organic foods
Perceived behaviour control	PBC1	I can afford continuing organic food if I want	[21, 56]
	PBC2	I believe it is beneficial to continue eating organic food
	PBC3	It is primarily my choice whether to keep eating organic food
Satisfaction with Organic Food	SOF1	I am pleased with organic food consumtion	[66–68]
	SOF1	I am satisfied with the premium price I pay for organic food as it is worthwhile
	SOF1	Everything is fine regarding the consumption of organic food
Sustainable Properties of Organic Food	SPO1	Organic foods are sustainable and hence I find it important to consider	[60, 61, 71, 72]
	SPO2	Organic foods are environment friendly both in terms of production and consumption
	SPO3	I am satisfied with the sustainable properties of organic foods
Organic Food Continuance Intention	OFCI1	Health consciousness and adequate organic food knowledge encourage me to continue it	[21, 86, 89]
	OFCI2	I will encourage my people around me to continue consuming organic food
	OFCI3	Though the price is higher, I prefer to continue eating organic food

Population and sample

This research population includes the people who have started consuming organic foods at least one year befor the date of the responses for this survey. As this survey has been conducted in between 2nd September 2023 to 11th September 2023, the consumers who have been continuing organic food (OF) from any date before 2nd September 2022 consist of the population of this study. Snowball technique has been applied to reach to such OF consumers. Initially, a few participants who matched the inclusion criteria were identified through professional and personal networks. These initial respondents were then asked to refer other individuals with similar experiences relevant to our research objectives. This chain-referral process allowed us to reach a broader pool of participants who might not have been accessible through conventional sampling methods.

Customers who met the requirements for OF consumption were given access to an online survey. The first question on the survey asked if the respondent had consumed OF for at least a year. With the exception of basic personal information, respondents used a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 denoting “strongly disagree” and 5 denoting “agree” or “disagree.” By clicking on the questionnaire’s URL, respondents might view the survey’s description. Participants voluntarily answered research questions during the survey and were free to leave at any moment. The participants voluntarily and fully informedly consented to fill out the questionnaire.

A total of 425 samples were gathered for this investigation. 397 samples with a 93.4% efficiency rate remained after invalid samples (such as logical mistakes and duplicates) were eliminated. In the maximum likelihood method, the parameter estimate to number of samples (p:n) ratio should ideally be at least 1:10 [59]. The sample size of 1:18.9, which was higher than the theoretically advised value, included 21 measurement items and 397 valid samples. Consequently, additional data analysis were carried out.

Data collecting techniques and ethical approval

A structured questionnaire was created to assess Bangladeshi consumers’ OF continuance intention. The survey used a completely internet-based circulation approach, which allowed it to obtain data from the respondents all around the country efficiently. The survey was digitally recorded in Google Form and circulated via official distribution routes. The web-based circulation method abolished the geographical barrier, allowing answers from all eight divisions in Bangladesh.

Respondents demographic characteristics

A statistical analysis was performed using the information supplied by the participants in the valid questionnaire. The distribution of the study’s numerous demographic factors is shown in Table 2. There were marginally more males (53.4%) than females (46.6%) in the study sample. Regarding the age of the respondents, there is a normal distribution with participants from all age groups. The highest segment of age distribution belongs to the age group of 25–32 with 110 respondents (27.7%) while the age group 51 and above consists of the least respondents with 28 respondents (7.1%). The respondents’ occupational distribution seems to have been reasonably balanced, with a somewhat higher percentage working in the private sector (40.5%). The distribution of income was quite equal. The highest number of participants belonged to income group of BDT 20,000–40,000 per month with 83 participants (20.9%) whereas the lowest number of participants belong to BDT 1,00,000 and above income group with 39 respondents (9.8%).

Table 2.

Demographic characteristics of the participants

Demographic features	Number of participants
Respondents	397
Female	185
Male	212
Age range 18–25	81
Age range 25–32	110
Age range 32–42	96
Age range 42–50	82
Age range 51 and above	28
Businessmen	99
Government employees	74
Private employees	161
Students	63
Income less than BDT 20000 per month	64
Income between BDT 20,000–40,000 per month	83
Income between BDT 40,000–60,000 per month	75
Income between BDT 60,000–80,000 per month	64
Income between BDT 80,000–1,00,000 per month	72
Income above BDT 1,00,000 per month	39

Results

Outer model assessment

Composite reliability (CR), Cronbach’s Alpha, and Dijkstra-rho Henseler’s (RA) were used to assess the construct measurement’s reliability, as proposed by Gefen et al. [91], Nunnally and Bernstein [92], and Dijkstra and Henseler [93] respectively. Table 3 shows that the CR and rA both passed the 0.70 reference value, indicating construct reliability. The outside loadings on all 19 items were higher than the desired threshold of 0.70. Since the average variance extracted (AVE) reached the specified criterion of 0.50, convergent validity (CV) was demonstrated for all constructs. As a consequence, the findings shown in Tables 3, 4, and 5 indicated that the outer model was reasonably reliable with the required CV [94].

Table 3.

Reliability and convergent validity statistics

Construct	Loadings	Cronbach’s Alpha	rho (rA)	CR	AVE
AHB1	0.916	0.780	0.860	0.870	0.693
AHB2	0.745
AHB3	0.827
ATT1	0.894	0.918	0.922	0.948	0.859
ATT2	0.943
ATT3	0.943
FVO1	0.866	0.861	0.863	0.915	0.782
FVO2	0.890
FVO3	0.898
OFCI1	0.878	0.882	0.883	0.927	0.810
OFCI2	0.920
OFCI3	0.901
PBC1	0.845	0.819	0.836	0.891	0.732
PBC2	0.839
PBC3	0.883
SOF1	0.880	0.858	0.859	0.913	0.778
SOF2	0.880
SOF3	0.887
SPO1	0.895	0.907	0.922	0.941	0.842
SPO2	0.947
SPO3	0.910

Table 4.

Cross loadings

	AHB	ATT	FVO	OFCI	PBC	SOF	SPO
AHB1	0.916	0.597	0.548	0.656	0.444	0.648	0.676
AHB2	0.745	0.391	0.418	0.412	0.255	0.377	0.378
AHB3	0.827	0.409	0.333	0.408	0.403	0.436	0.463
ATT1	0.514	0.894	0.679	0.698	0.517	0.656	0.538
ATT2	0.557	0.943	0.683	0.790	0.505	0.632	0.660
ATT3	0.533	0.943	0.639	0.742	0.532	0.690	0.678
FVO1	0.404	0.540	0.866	0.581	0.479	0.654	0.409
FVO2	0.510	0.701	0.890	0.684	0.482	0.649	0.603
FVO3	0.501	0.662	0.898	0.678	0.586	0.641	0.363
OFCI1	0.532	0.686	0.676	0.878	0.586	0.729	0.463
OFCI2	0.576	0.752	0.715	0.920	0.578	0.691	0.635
OFCI3	0.550	0.729	0.588	0.901	0.612	0.665	0.698
PBC1	0.236	0.367	0.408	0.458	0.845	0.424	0.261
PBC2	0.487	0.469	0.489	0.564	0.839	0.519	0.409
PBC3	0.409	0.567	0.576	0.640	0.883	0.587	0.472
SOF1	0.563	0.614	0.687	0.699	0.661	0.880	0.497
SOF2	0.515	0.570	0.616	0.624	0.462	0.880	0.559
SOF3	0.532	0.690	0.633	0.715	0.475	0.887	0.636
SPO1	0.519	0.554	0.391	0.490	0.419	0.509	0.895
SPO2	0.607	0.654	0.498	0.650	0.493	0.646	0.947
SPO3	0.607	0.643	0.524	0.672	0.349	0.592	0.910

Table 5.

Fornell-Larcker criterion

	AHB	ATT	FVO	OFCI	PBC	SOF	SPO
AHB	0.832
ATT	0.577	0.927
FVO	0.535	0.719	0.885
OFCI	0.614	0.804	0.734	0.900
PBC	0.452	0.558	0.583	0.658	0.856
SOF	0.609	0.710	0.732	0.772	0.606	0.882
SPO	0.633	0.677	0.520	0.667	0.458	0.640	0.918

After that, discriminant validity (DV) was investigated. DV explains the extent to which one latent construct differs from the others based on empirical standards. Generally, two frequently used tests of DV are used. The 1 st way is to evaluate cross loadings. The outer loadings of the items of a construct should be greater than the cross loadings on other constructs [94]. The Fornell–Larcker criterion compares the square root generated from AVE (SRAVE) of a construct with the construct’s correlations as the 2nd approach for assessing DV. The SRAVE of a construct must be greater than the correlation with any other construct [94]. Experts suggested Heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio as the third approach to evaluate DV for additional theoretical justification according to the guiding principle of Henseler et al. [95]. The appropriate HTMT values, as recommended, should be less than 0.90 [95]. The study’s findings, as shown in Tables 6, demonstrate that the outer model is discriminantly valid, as specified by the guidelines [94–96]. As a consequence of the findings, it is claimed that the common technique bias did not pose a threat to the current study.

Table 6.

HTMT ratio

	AHB	ATT	FVO	OFCI	PBC	SOF	SPO
AHB
ATT	0.660
FVO	0.632	0.807
OFCI	0.711	0.891	0.840
PBC	0.538	0.631	0.682	0.761
SOF	0.714	0.800	0.852	0.886	0.709
SPO	0.716	0.735	0.579	0.734	0.516	0.719

The research model, as seen in Fig. 2 and Table 7, has an R² value of 0.664 for SOF implying that AHB, FVO and SPO influence consumers’ satisfaction with organic food (SOF). Again, the R² value of 0.769 for OFCI ensures that AHB, FVO and SPO, ATT, PBC and SOF can explain 76.9% of the variations in organic food continuance intention of the consumers while considering the mediating role of SOF.

Fig. 2.

Measurement model

Table 7.

R² values

	R-Square	R-Square Adjusted
OFCI	0.769	0.766
SOF	0.644	0.641

Hair et al. [97] state that the R2 value ranges from 0 to 1, with a higher number indicating a more accurate prediction. According to Cohen [50] the predictive accuracy of this research is substantial as it is above 0.26 for both SOF and OFCI.

Evaluation of SEM

The links between the variables postulated in the conceptual framework are represented by the structural model (SEM). The bootstrapping technique was applied with 5000 sub-samples to evaluate whether the presented hypotheses were valid [94]. The study’s structural model is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3.

Structural model

Results of the hypotheses test

Table 8 describes the results of the direct hypotheses, while Table 9 shows the mediating effect. At the 5% significance level, it unequivocally shows that every one of our suggested hypotheses’ standardized route coefficients is significant. Thus, every one of our assumptions from (H1–H9) is validated.

Table 8.

Path coefficient (Direct Effect)

	Original sample (O)	Sample mean (M)	Standard deviation (STDEV)	T values	P Values	Hypothesis decision
AHB—> OFCI	0.067	0.067	0.031	2.145	0.032	Accepted
AHB—> SOF	0.168	0.170	0.041	4.076	0.000	Accepted
ATT—> OFCI	0.350	0.351	0.049	7.174	0.000	Accepted
FVO—> OFCI	0.135	0.133	0.048	2.834	0.005	Accepted
FVO—> SOF	0.500	0.498	0.042	11.871	0.000	Accepted
PBC—> OFCI	0.180	0.180	0.040	4.507	0.000	Accepted
SOF—> OFCI	0.211	0.212	0.064	3.267	0.001	Accepted
SPO—> OFCI	0.100	0.100	0.037	2.734	0.006	Accepted
SPO—> SOF	0.274	0.274	0.047	5.846	0.000	Accepted

Table 9.

Path coefficient (Mediating Effect)

	Original sample (O)	Sample mean (M)	Standard deviation (STDEV)	P Values	Hypothesis decision
AHB—> SOF—> OFCI	0.035	0.036	0.014	0.009	Accepted
FVO—> SOF—> OFCI	0.105	0.106	0.034	0.002	Accepted
SPO—> SOF—> OFCI	0.058	0.058	0.021	0.007	Accepted

According to Hair et al. [94], bootstrapping can be employed with a small sample size, making it a useful tool for illustrating mediating influence in PLS-SEM. The method developed by Preacher and Hayes [98] can also be used to assess the effects of mediation. The mediating impact is considered to exist if the indirect effect is substantial. Absolute and partial mediation are two distinct types of mediation that are included in the most recent mediation research. A complete mediation is inferred when the indirect effect is significant but the direct effect is not. However, when both direct and indirect effects are substantial, partial mediation is certain [99].

The mediating effect of SOF at the 5% level of significance is displayed in Table 9. Therefore, it is clear that satisfaction with organic food (SOF) mediates the relationship between awareness of health benfefit of organic food and organic food continuance intention (OFCI) in Hypothesis 10, food value of organic food (FVO) and OFCI in hrpthesis 11, and sustainable properties of organic food (SPO) in Hypothesis 12. As in all the cases both the direct and indiret relationship are significant, we can claim partial mediation. Once more, there are two subcategories of partial mediation: complimentary and competing mediating effects. A complimentary partial mediation occurs when both the direct and indirect effects point in the same direction, whether that direction is positive or negative. In contrast, the mediating effect is competitive when the direct and indirect effects are in the opposite direction [100]. The results in Tables 8 and 9 guarantee that SOF has a complementary partial mediating effect in every instance, in accordance with the claims made by Carrión et al. [99] and Baron and Kenny [100].

Explaining the importance of factors

Effect Size (f2) quantifies how much R2 changes when a certain independent variable is eliminated from the model. It shows if the dependent variable is significantly impacted by the eliminated variable [94, 101]. According to the values of 0.350, 0.150, and 0.020, respectively, the effect sizes are categorized as high, medium, and minor [50]. According to Chin et al. [102], a study’s small size of effect should additionally be taken into account. Table 10 refers that removal of all the exegenus constrcuts on OFCI has small effect while removal of ATT has a medium effect on OFCI [50].

Table 10.

f² values

	OFCB (f2)	Effect size
AHB	0.020	Small
ATT	0.178	Medium
FVO	0.029	Small
PBC	0.081	Small
SOF	0.063	Small
SPO	0.021	Small

Predictive relevance (Q2)

Researchers assess Stone-Geisser’s Q2 value in addition to R2 as a measure of prediction accuracy [103, 104]. The Q2 of cross-validated communality and redundancy was assessed using the blindfolding techniques. The predictive importance of the path model is indicated by a Q2 greater than zero for the endogenous construct in a SEM, as stated by Hair et al. [94]. According to Child [105], communality values less than 0.2 ought to be eliminated. Figure 4 below shows the predictive relevance of the study.

Fig. 4.

Predictive Relevance through Blindfolding Technique

A blindfolding process was used to measure the Q2 value, and all of the Q2 values shown in Tables 11 and 12 meet the necessary requirements according to Child [105] and Hair et al. [94].

Table 11.

Cross validated communality

	SSO	SSE	Q2 (= 1-SSE/SSO)
AHB	1191.000	724.072	0.392
ATT	1191.000	390.924	0.672
FVO	1191.000	552.248	0.536
OFCI	1191.000	494.559	0.585
PBC	1191.000	657.990	0.448
SOF	1191.000	562.280	0.528
SPO	1191.000	424.808	0.643

Table 12.

Cross validated redundancy

	SSO	SSE	Q2 (= 1-SSE/SSO)
AHB	1191.000	1191.000
ATT	1191.000	1191.000
FVO	1191.000	1191.000
OFCI	1191.000	457.473	0.616
PBC	1191.000	1191.000
SOF	1191.000	601.486	0.495
SPO	1191.000	1191.000

Discussions and research implications

The exogenous constructs of the study may explain 76.9% of the variations in organic food continuance intention (OFCI). Hence, the study model demonstrated a high level of predictive capability and could be used to investigate continuance behaviour.

The overall goal of this research is to determine the influence of six exogenous constructs on consumers’ propensity to continue eating organic foods, especially in Bangladesh. It also measures the mediating role of satisfaction with organic food (SOF). This study’s conceptual model was used to examine the data and determine its significance. Three mediating hypotheses and nine direct hypotheses have all been accepted.

As per the findings of the study, awarewness of health benefits of organic foods(AHB), food values of organic food(FVO) and sustainable propoerties of organic food (SPO) make the consumers satisfied with organic food consumptions (SOF). Among the three variables, FVO has found to be the most influencial folowed by SPO in making consmuers happy with organic food. Again, if we consider the organic food continuance intention (OFCI), attitude of the consumers (ATT) has found to be the most influential follwoed byperceved behavioural control (PBC). SOF has found to be a significant mediator as it mediates the relationship between OFCI and AHB, OFCI and FVO, and OFCI and SPO. Since AHB and ATT are the most influential factors, raising awareness and developing a health-conscious attitude are extremely likely to have a favourable effect on the continued consumptions of organic foods.

In a very unique way, our model differs from other similar studies in this subject. The results are reflective of a fairly large demographic-group covering the whole geographical locations which make the study different from previous research. Most importantly, this study has examined the role of the SOF as a mediator of the relationship between OFCI and i) AHB, ii) FVO iii) SPO which is a unique contribution of this study. The inclusion of sustainable propoerties of organic food and its significant impact on OFCI findings clearly indicate that consumers are not only concern with their own health but also careful about sustinability. Consequently, they felt they should continue organic food for both of their health benefits and contribution towards the socierty through sustainale consumptions.

Given the increasing demand for consuming organic food, we need to pay adequate attention to produce organic foods more within a reasonable price to satisfy the escalating needs. The results also revealed that perceived behaviour control (PBC) and food value of organixc food (FVO) significantly influence OFCI. It demonstrated that PBC and FVO emerged as the vital elements in influencing continuance intention, which is in line with the results reported by Kabir and Islam [21]. Tandon et al. (2020) observed that attitude (ATT) had no significant link with the purchase behavior of organic food [106] though we found ATT to have a strong influence on OFCI in Bangladesh.

Research implications

By highlighting the political component of the customers’ self-transformation process and offering fresh perspectives on how consumers internalize the sustainable agenda, this study advances the theoretical conceptualization of sustainable marketing and sustainable consuming. The identification with organic consumption is the beginning point and the identity structural component of this change [107, 108]. The uniqueness of this study stems from evidence that organic products support a mindful attitude toward sustainability [5], awareness of the detrimental effects of consumption, and a sense of self-care through the advantages of eating high-value, organic foods. In fact, satisfaction with organic food consumption is the outcome of health benefits, sustainable properties and food value of organic food. These common behaviors and identities are components of a changing culture that must be incorporated into business philosophy and marketing.

This study proposes six factors that explain organic food continuance behaviour of Bangladeshi consumers. As previously noted, Bangladeshi residents’ knowledge of sustainable organic food is less compared to other countries [21]. However, the results of the study that AHB, FVO and SPO have a considerable and substantial influence on OFCI are consistent with previous research conducted on this issue worldwide [60, 109–112].

Considering the policy standpoint, there are several obstacles, including the scarcity of organic seedlings, the absence of markets, and poor warehousing facilities, particularly during the summer months. The acceptance and sustainability of OF farming and consumptions are severely hampered. Thus, the majority of the organic food consumers are metropolitan city-based purchasers who are privileged with access to technology that promote broad knowledge of organic foods’heathenefit and food values [113]. Hence, health-awareness is the primary motivator for present organic food buyers in Bangladesh. Though satisfaction with organic food consumptions has been overlooked in earlier research, this study highlighted the role of SOF in influencing healthy eating behaviour which made the study a unique contribution in organic food research.

The government of Bangladesh is increasingly promoting organic food consumption as part of numerous programs to foster sustainable development. Increased consumption of organic food will result in an increase in demand for organic crops. There will be societal benefits from this phenomena since bio-fertilizer is environmentally friendly, alleviating soil fertility difficulties and lowering illness risks while increasing nutritious value. This research may be used to build a strategy to increase organic food consumption, which can have a positive social impact.

For ensuring a sustainable food consumtion echosystem in Bangladesh, a multi dimensional inititaitve is necessary to facilitate Organic fodd production and its transportation to the consumers at a justified price throughut thr country. A specila eco-zone for cultivation of organic food might be created highlighting organic food production skills, pest and soil health amangement to showcase the production process, as well as to atteasct consumers about the health benfits and sustanabilty issues. Making sure the availability of organic seeds through productions and bio diversity is essesntial. Morever, the agricultutral research to produce organic food considering the tates of Bangladeshi people may bring positive results. Nevertheless, initial subsiides to the proudcers and farmers may help in keeping the price of organic food within the limit of the consumers as it is claimed that organic foods are costly.

From the practicial perspective in terms of consumers’ intention to consume organic food, it is essential to utilize diverse media to educate them about the importance of consuming organic fodd both for self health benfit and environmental sustainability. Creating confidence among the consumers highlighting the benfits, origin, and sustainability issues of the organic product in their level would boost invstors motivation for such consumtions,By establishing a propoer supplychain of organic food, the growth rate of organic food consumtions can be accelareted. Last but not the least, incorporating the benfits of consuming organic food and the process of cultivation of it should be incorporated in the respective educational curriculum for a sutainable future.

Conclusion and future research agenda

Bangladesh, a youthful and vibrant country in South-Asia with a population of over 160 million inhabitants, is likely to be a rapidly growing market for organic food (OF) soon [21]. The fact that just a small fraction of people currently buy OF is a good indicator for producers and retailers. Additionally, the Bangladeshi government has already begun to support long-term sustainable growth across the country. As a result, the administration is expected to be more supportive to the OF industry. In this situation, it’s critical to identify the elements that influence consumers’ organic food consumption patterns so that production processes and marketing techniques may be adjusted to attract and keep more Bangladeshi consumers. In Bangladesh’s OF industry, there appears to be a strong push for in-depth studies. With an expanded TPB model, we seek to fill up the current research gap. The TPB parameters have been validated in the context of organic food continuance behaviour. We also looked into hypotheses that reflected a complex relationship between awareness of health benefits of organic foods (AHB), food values of organic food (FVO) and sustainable properties of organic food (SPO) make the consumers satisfied with organic food consumptions (SOF), and organic food continuance. Most importantly, we evaluated the mediating role of SOF in relation to organic food continuance behaviour. Our observations have added to the current body of knowledge and paved the door for additional in-depth explanations and research in this sector.

As compared to previous studies in Bangladesh, our results make a distinctive contribution to OF research. Despite the fact that there is a few research in OF industry [23, 24], Ferdous et al. [25] and Rahman [26] attempted to describe the possibilities of sustainable farming in Bangladesh, focusing mostly on the supplier side. Our result differs from that as we looked at the demand side of the equation by looking at the factors that influence consumers’ decisions to buy and eat OF in Bangladesh. While there have been a few previous studies based on the perceptions of organic food buyers in Bangladesh, they are not the same as this research. For instance, Mukul et al. [28] and Rahman and Mohd Noor [27] used descriptive statistical analysis in their studies centered on Dhaka city, whereas our research offers a credible predictive basis centered on TPB that included respondents from all divisions in Bangladesh. Prince and Krairit [29] tried to develop a viable model for organic food consumptions. Unlike our study, they only looked at organic meat consumptions among Dhaka city residents. One of the rarest studies which comprehensively considered all the aspects of organic food and demographic characteristics of whole Bangladesh was the study of Kabir and Islam [21]. This study will complement the findings of the results of Kabir and Islam [21] by extending the model with the assessment of satisfaction with organic food consumptions of the exiting consumers as a mediator to influence OFCI.

Many people and organizations throughout the world are pushing and trying hard to promote OF consumption to combat issues like overweight and persistent sickness [114]. Hence, educational curricula need to reflect sustainable food policy. Resources to enhance health awareness and inspire individuals to improve behavioural control toward the intake of organic foods should be included in academic content. Developing a communication and marketing plan aimed at increasing customers’ health awareness is certainly possible to increase the likelihood of consuming OF. This argument is supported by the fact that the conceptual approach proposed in the earlier part of this study has been proven to be suitable, as demonstrated by statistically significant results.

Despite satisfying the research’s aims, certain flaws in the study were discovered the absence of which may have resulted in a different result. First, the participants of this research were all from Bangladesh. Future research may look at the Asian background, including India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Thus, the validity of the study model can be improved by gathering data from many individuals of diverse nations. Second, the research did not take OF price into account, which might have an influence on OFCB. Third, the supplier side of organic foods was not taken into account in this research. The OF cultivation matter may be addressed in future study because the OF production should greatly increase to satisfy the expanding demand for it.

Authors’ contributions

MRK initiated the study’s conceptualization. MKS and MSS collected the data, processed it, and performed statistical analysis. MRK, MSS, and MKS wrote the manuscript. MRK and MSS sorted out the data visualization and supervision. MRK and MSS revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

There is no external or internal funding for conducting this research.

Data availability

The corresponding author should be contacted regarding data availability, which is contingent upon demand.

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The ethical process was strictly followed in carrying out this survey. The research and relevant data management processes were approved by the Institutional Ethical Review Board of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Daffodil International University (Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh) under Ethical Approval No. Ethics/Salman13/2023. Informed consent was obtained from all respondents. The study was conducted in compliance with the core principles of the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki (2013). The objective, advantages, and limitations of the research survey were clearly stated on the first page of the survey form. Respondents were asked to select from a range of answer options, as there were no correct or incorrect answers. To ensure confidentiality, participants were advised not to provide their names or any identifying information.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.