Who can you trust? The curvilinear effects of producer-retailer trust (im)balance in organic food consumption – The moderation role of trust in blockchain technology

Little is known about the role of producer-retailer trust congruence in the organic food supply chain, while blockchain technology is considered a ‘trust machine’ in this supply chain. This research adopts the lens of the trust transfer theory to explore how trust in organic food producers can congruently and incongruently interact with trust in organic food retailers to trigger consumers’ trust in organic food products, which, in turn, interact with trust in blockchain technology to reinforce consumers’ purchase decisions. Using a purposive sample of 5326 Vietnamese consumers, the research employs an advanced method-polynomial regression with response surface analysis test the hypothesized model. The findings reveal that both trust in organic food producers and trust in organic food retailers significantly affect trust in organic food products, with trust in organic food products being higher when trust in organic food producers and trust in organic food retailers are balanced at a high level. These trusts also pose serial indirect effects on consumers’ purchase decisions through trust in organic food producers and purchase intentions. Trust in blockchain technology was found to positively moderate the impact of trust in organic food producers on consumers’ organic food purchase intentions. Based on the findings, some practical implications for stakeholders are released.