INTRODUCTION

Consumers are now becoming increasingly aware and concerned about the safety of
food and its related problems such as genetic modification (Christoph et al., 2008;
Ortega and Tschirley, 2017), pesticides (Miles and Frewer, 2001), BSE (McCluskey et
al., 2005), and salmonella food poisoning (Miles and Frewer, 2001). Therefore, the
organic food market has evolved substantially due to the increasing need for healthier
foods, mainly organic foods (Bhattarai et al., 2013; Kumar et al., 2018; Lee et al., 2014;
Sharma and Bansal, 2013) that are grown without harmful pesticides, herbicides, and
artificial fertilizers. Organic food demand is expanding much faster than local production
and supply in several countries. The uncontrolled growth of the organic food market in
Asian countries indicates growing consumer concern about organic food on the
improvement of the quality of life and the shift in perceptions from traditional diet to a
healthy diet (Al-Swidi, Mohammed Rafiul Huque, Haroon Hafeez, & Noor Mohd Shariff,
2014). The international market for organic food reached $110.25 billion in 2016,
according to TechSci Research, and is anticipated to rise $262.85 billion by 2022. The
organic food industry is expected to grow rapidly in Asia Pacific countries, accounting
for more than 12% of global revenue by 2025 (Grand View Research, 2017). Several
studies addressing organic food consumption behavior can be found in the literature,
but most of these studies are concentrated in developed countries, presumably because
demand is higher in these countries. However, as the concept of organic food gains
traction in developing countries, more research is required to study the consumer
behavior towards organic food (Asif, M., Xuhui, W., Nasiri, A., & Ayyub, S., 2018).
The role of Country-of-origin (COO) in determining consumer perceptions, preferences,
and purchase behaviour has been the subject of extensive research (Newman et al.,
2014). One of the oldest and most widely explored areas in global marketing and
consumer behavior is the influence of COO on consumer choices, and a variety of
variables and moderators of COO effects have been found (Pharr, 2005; Verlegh and
Steenkamp, 1999). Consumer demand is playing an important role in driving the organic
industry's expansion, which has resulted in a growing body of knowledge (Hughner et
al., 2007; Aschemann-Witzel and Zielke, 2015; Rödiger and Hamm, 2015; Hemmerling
et al., 2015). In marketing research, the impact of COO on consumer perceptions and
purchasing intentions is a common topic (Bloemer et al.,2009). Consumers' product
evaluations are influenced by the COO of the product, according to past research
(Costa et al., 2016; Josiassen, 2010; Koubaa et al., 2015; Lee et al., 2013; Prentice and
Handsjuk, 2016) and buy decisions (Awada and Yiannaka, 2012; Dobrenova et al.,
2015; Godey et al., 2012).
Organic foods are generally more expensive than non-organic foods (Lea and Worsley,
2005; Radman, 2005). Price-conscious buyers are mainly concerned about paying
lesser prices (Lichtenstein et al., 1993). According to previous study, one of the most
significant barriers to organic food consumption is the notion that organic food is
expensive (Aertsens et al., 2009; Hughner et al., 2007). Therefore, understanding the
factor of Price Consciousness can be of great value in order to analyze consumers’
purchase intention and behavior towards organic food.
Agriculture is considered to be the main sector of Pakistan, accounting for nearly 24%
of Pakistan's GDP (PBS, 2021). Mostly, conventional methods are employed for
agriculture cultivation, which typically involve the use of chemical fertilizers, which has a
negative impact on people’s health. Consumers are becoming mindful of their food
purchases due to numerous food scandals such as debased and contaminated milk,
meat and vegetables and are switching from traditional to organic food products. As a
result, some farmers have switched from conventional to organic farming system (Asif,
M., Xuhui, W., Nasiri, A., & Ayyub, S., 2018). In Pakistan, the usage of some harmful
pesticides has also been banned in the cultivation process for health and environmental
concerns (FAO, 2020). For the production of organic crops and vegetables, the National
Institute of Organic Agriculture (NIOA) is imparting technical assistance to a variety of
clients, including educators, consultants, researchers, and farmers. At NARC, three
organic product manufacturing units have also been installed: organic fertiliser, organic
pesticide, and organic herbicide. If consumers' intentions are aligned, switching to
organic agriculture can bring environmental and health benefits. Thus, this study
employs the theory of planned behavior framework (TPB) to better understand the
behavior of consumers towards organic food in Pakistan. TPB is regarded as one of the
most useful frameworks for explaining human behavior in a variety of domains, and it is
particularly valuable in the field of environmental psychology (Stern, 2005). This study
utilizes three main dimensions of TPB including attitude, subjective norms and
perceived behavioral control, as determinants of purchase intention and purchase
behavior, because these factors have been identified to be driving individual’s intention
to either engage or not in certain behaviors (Ajzen, 1985). In addition, the study aims to
evaluate the role of awareness and COO as moderators on the links between purchase
intention and its determinants, as well as the moderating effect of Price Consciousness
(PC) on the relationship between organic food purchasing intention and behavior.