Positive attitudes do not automatically become purchases
Why people intend to buy organic food and whether they say they adopt it are related but different questions. A September study in Türkiye examines both using 893 valid responses to an online questionnaire. Health concerns and sustainable-consumption orientation had the strongest associations with purchase intention among the six factors included in the model.
The other factors were personal-image motivation, expectations about content and naturalness, packaging information and social-media engagement. All six were positively associated with intention. The findings concern participants’ perceptions and reported behaviour; they do not establish that organic products in the sample were objectively healthier or that any particular production system had a measured environmental advantage.
Intention was closely linked with reported adoption
The study used partial least squares structural equation modelling to analyse the survey responses. Purchase intention had the strongest reported relationship with self-reported adoption, with a standardised coefficient of 0.578. Health concern and sustainability orientation were associated with intention at 0.225 and 0.199, respectively. These coefficients describe relationships within the model, not percentage increases in actual sales.
The model explained 47.6% of variation in intention and 67.7% in reported adoption within the dataset. Those figures are not the proportion of Turkish consumers buying organic food. Adoption was measured through statements about preference, trial and continued purchasing, rather than receipts, retailer records or repeated observation of shopping behaviour.
Information and digital engagement had distinct roles
Packaging informativeness concerned certification and producer information at the point of purchase. Social-media engagement combined trust in comments, responses to online information and active checking. Personal image included symbolic and status-related meanings associated with organic choices. The results therefore should not be reduced to a claim that attractive packaging or influencer advertising alone drives adoption.
Several factors were associated with reported adoption through purchase intention, while personal-image motivation and social engagement also had direct relationships in the model. These patterns can guide more focused research, but the questionnaire combines multiple mechanisms within some constructs. Separate tests would be needed to establish which information or communication approach changes a real purchasing decision.
The sample and design limit generalisation
Data were collected through a Turkish-language online survey in 2026. The cross-sectional design cannot establish which factor caused another, and people with limited digital access may be underrepresented. The authors also acknowledge that diagnostic tests cannot eliminate common-method bias when related measures come from the same respondents and survey setting.
For organic-food suppliers, the study identifies topics worth testing: credible certification information, understandable product content and the relationship between stated motives and repeat purchase. It does not quantify a guaranteed marketing effect. Longitudinal studies, experiments and observed transactions across income groups, regions and retail channels would provide stronger evidence of how intention becomes action, including the influence of price and availability that a communication strategy alone may not overcome.
- Understanding Organic Food Purchase Intention and Adoption in Türkiye: The Roles of Health, Sustainability, Product Information, and Social Media. ↗
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) · CC-BY-4.0 ↗. Aslan A. Understanding Organic Food Purchase Intention and Adoption in Türkiye: The Roles of Health, Sustainability, Product Information, and Social Media. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). 2026. DOI: 10.3390/foods15183356. © 2026 by the author. Adapted by FoodRadar.