Consumer awareness and actual buying behaviour of organic food in Algeria

Introduction. The adverse effects awareness of the chemicals misuse applied in food production is continuously increasing among consumers. In parallel, there is a rising trend in purchasing organically grown foods. Objective. This study aimed to evaluate Algerian consumers awareness and attitudes toward organic food products, and identify factors influencing their decision to purchase these organically grown foods. Material and methods. Survey data were obtained from 429 consumers via a 32-scale structured questionnaire, and evaluated with SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0 using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM). Hypotheses were verified by evaluating data via SEM, where mediating variables were attitude and purchasing intention. Results. The main reasons for Algerian consumers to consume organic food were health concerns, followed by environmentally friendly, pesticide-free, and better taste. Moreover, three factors namely health consciousness, subjective norms, and perception of availability were revealed to influence consumer buying behaviour towards organic food products. This occurred either by a direct effect such as availability perception or by a partial mediation of purchase intention, like subjective norms or by full mediating of attitude toward organic food, and purchase intention as the health consciousness factor did. Conclusion. The present study can guide and help agricultural policymakers to promote shifting to organic farming, which would benefit the ecosystem and human wellbeing. Furthermore, the report provides clear guidance for industry professionals who need to develop successful marketing strategies by addressing the main motivators of organic food consumption.