Cognition, Value Perception and Purchase Intention of Organic Food—Evidence from China’s Organic Milk Market

Abstract

Organic agriculture is of great significance to human health and the ecosystem, and the consumption of organic food is considered a kind of pro-environment behavior of urban residents. Taking value perception, food safety awareness and environmental awareness as mediating variables, an analytical framework of the influence of “organic” cognition on purchase intention was constructed in this paper, and the empirical test was implemented by the Ologit model based on the micro-survey of organic milk purchase intention of 1113 urban consumers in China. The results show that cognitive level positively affects residents’ value perception and purchase intention of organic food, and value perception plays an intermediary role in the influence of cognition on purchase intention; meanwhile, consumers’ food safety awareness and environmental awareness play a moderating role between cognition and value perception, thus the mediating effect of value perception on the relationship between cognition and purchase intention is also regulated. Therefore, using diversified ways to publicize organic food knowledge is of positive significance to enhance consumers’ “organic” cognitive level and enhance their purchase intention in practice. Providing differentiated products and services, strengthening consumers’ benign social interaction and meeting their diversified value pursuit is crucial for suppliers. Meanwhile, the government and enterprises need to strengthen the popularization and dissemination of environmental protection and food safety knowledge to enhance consumers’ environmental and food safety awareness, improving the social environment of the cultivation of the organic food market.