Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior in the Purchase of Organic Food

The main objective of the study was to define factors which influence the purchase intention involving organic food among Croatian consumers. In order to create a theoretical base, this research adopted the theory of planned behavior. The model examines the impact of several independent variables on the intention to purchase organic foods. The study was conducted on a sample of 331 respondents in the territory of Republic of Croatia. Research results indicate that consumer attitudes towards organic food, subjective norms, perceived financial situation, health awareness and knowledge about organic food have a significant impact on the intention involving the purchase of organic food, with subjective norms, attitudes and health awareness being the best predictors of the purchase intention. On the other hand, the relationship between the perceived availability of organic food and the intention to buy organic food was statistically significant. Considering the demographic characteristics of respondents and their correlation with the purchase intention, marital status, age and household income were found to significantly affect the intention to buy organic food, while other demographic variables had no significant impact on the purchase intention. Therefore, the respondents who are married, between 46 and 55 years old and with household incomes of more than 16,000 kuna show a greater intention to buy organic food in comparison with other respondents. The research results have important implications for marketing practice, primarily for advertising.