Purchasing certified forest products to participate in sustainable forest management: Unveiling the drivers of consumers' intention

Abstract

Purchasing certificated forest products is an approach to the public participating in sustainable forest management. There is a research gap about deriving factors that promote purchasing these products. This study investigates the psychological factors influence citizens' intentions to purchase certified forest products utilizing an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model incorporating two additional constructs including environmental concern and perceived trust in certification mechanisms in Tehran, Iran, with a sample size of 447 consumers of furniture and wood product markets. Data collection was carried out through structured questionnaires. The hypotheses of study and relationships between variables were tested using structural equation modeling. The initial TPB model explained 65 % of the variance in purchase intention, while the extended model increased this explanatory power to 73 %. The findings revealed that attitude, perceived behavioral control, environmental concern, and perceived trust significantly influenced purchase intention. The study underscores the importance of fostering positive attitudes toward certified forest products through educational and promotional programs, enhancing environmental concern, and building trust in certification systems. These efforts can strengthen consumers' intentions to purchase certified products, thereby supporting sustainable forest management practices. This study contributes to the exiting knowledge by validating the extended TPB model in the context of environmentally sustainable purchasing intention and highlights the critical role of trust and environmental concern in shaping consumer intention. The findings of the research include actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to promote sustainable consumption and enhance public participation in environmental conservation efforts.