Azhar Mustafa Ansari

In recent years, organic food consumption has gained increasing attention because of rising ecological concerns and health consciousness. Despite favorable attitudes towards sustainable organic consumption, the conversion of intention to purchase into actual behavior remains a challenge, specifically among Generation Z consumers. Thus, the objective of the present study is to examine the socio-environmental determinants influencing organic food consumption among Gen Z consumers in India by extending the theory of planned behavior. We employed a hybrid SEM-ANN predictive approach to analyze data collected from 763 valid responses through a structured self-administered questionnaire. First, SEM was used to test the hypothesized relationships, followed by ANN analysis to capture non-linear associations and ascertain the relative importance of predictor variables. The outcomes reveal that attitude and environmental concern have a positive and significant influence, whereas subjective norm displays a significantly negative influence, and willingness to pay exhibits non-significant influence on intention to purchase. The ANN analysis further strengthens the relative importance of the significant predictors and exhibits satisfactory predictive performance. The study contributes to the literature by incorporating explanatory and predictive modeling techniques to provide a comprehensive insight into Gen Z consumers’ organic food purchase intentions. The findings offer practical implications to various stakeholders such as policymakers and marketers in designing targeted strategies to promote sustainable food consumption among Gen Z consumers in the Indian market.

Background: Herbal medicines, derived from natural ingredients without chemical synthesis, form the foundation of various traditional healthcare systems in India. With the growing incidence of chronic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and side effects of synthetic drugs, there is an increased global shift towards natural and holistic treatment options. This has renewed interest in herbal medicine, especially in countries with a strong tradition in its use, like India. Methods: The present study adopted a quantitative research approach to examine consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior toward herbal medicines. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 250 respondents in Hyderabad, India. Statistical techniques such as descriptive statistics, factor analysis, correlation, and multiple regression were employed to analyze the data. Results: The findings revealed that factors such as health and safety, effectiveness and reliability, trust and brand perception, and environmental and ethical considerations significantly influence consumers’ purchase intentions and their likelihood to recommend herbal medicines. In contrast, economic and availability and cultural and social factors did not show any significant influence on purchase behavior. Conclusions: The study concludes that the growing preference for herbal medicines is largely driven by perceived health benefits, trust in product quality, and ethical concerns. These insights may help marketers and policymakers design more effective awareness and distribution strategies to promote the adoption of herbal products.