Consumer Insights Into Organic Food : Awarness, Understanding and Purchase Behavior in Aththnagalla DS Division, Gampaha Distric

Abstract

The increasing demand for organic food has drawn attention to understanding consumer behavior and the factors shaping their purchasing decisions. This study investigates key determinants influencing consumer insight into organic food, focusing on awareness, availability and certification, perception, knowledge, and selected demographic variables such as age, gender, education, marital status, and family structure. This study examines consumer insights into organic food in the Aththanagalla Divisional Secretariat Division in the Gampaha District. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using a pre tested questionnaire among 150 consumers selected through random sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22), applying descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, and multiple regression analysis to identifu the influence of awareness, knowledge, availability, perception, certification, and demographic characteristics on purchase behavior. In contrast, awareness shows a significant but negative relationship with purchase behavior (p : 0.010), suggesting that being aware of organic food does not necessarily translate into actual purchase, likely due to price concerns, product availability, or lack of trust in certification. The findings reveal that consumer knowledge has a strong positive influence on purchase behavior (p: 0.000), indicating that well-informed consumers are more likely to choose organic food. Availability, certification, perception, and dernographic variables were not statistically significant. And availability, certification and perception have found to be statically not signilrcant (p : 0.747). The study concludes that improving consumer knowledge rather than only increasing awareness is crucial for enhancing organic food purchasing behavior. Strengthening certification visibility, improving product accessibility, and implementing educational and marketing strategies can increase consumer trust and stimulate demand. The findings offer valuable implications for marketers, policymakers, and organic food producers in promoting sustainable food consumption in Sri Lanka.