The organic food (OF) industry has flourished in China in recent years, driven by growing health consciousness. Since the COVID-19 epidemic, Chinese consumers have been adopting healthier habits, and OF sales are increasing dramatically as a result. For example, China’s OF consumption and production expanded rapidly over the years, making China the fourth-largest organic market in the world and the first in Asia (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of People’s Republic of China, 2023). By 2028, China’s OF market will reach US$30.88 billion, up from US$14.57 billion in 2022. The OF industry in China is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.34% (Research and Markets, 2023).

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is the most frequently employed theoretical framework for studying consumers’ attitudes and behavior intentions toward OF consumption in different countries or regions (Akter et al., 2023; Carrión Bósquez et al., 2023; Chetioui et al., 2023; Ferreira and Pereira, 2023; Hoyos-Vallejo et al., 2023; Khan et al., 2023; Mai et al., 2023; Nguyen and Vo, 2023; Prakash et al., 2023). In a nutshell, the TPB postulates that a specific behavior is influenced by the intention to perform it. Intention encompasses both motivation and cognitive planning and serves as an immediate antecedent to the behavior itself. Intention is determined by three interrelated factors: attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms (SNs), and perceived behavioral control (PBC). In the context of the TPB, purchase intention (PI) toward OF is not significantly determined by PBC and SN (Yazdanpanah and Forouzani, 2015; Yadav and Pathak, 2016; Asif et al., 2018; Chekima et al., 2019). In contrast, attitudes toward OF are considered the main factor influencing OF PI, as OF consumption represents a highly individualistic behavior (Yazdanpanah and Forouzani, 2015; Iqbal et al., 2021).

The motivations for OF consumption have been thoroughly investigated in earlier publications. Previous research has identified that consumers’ purchasing motivations for OF involve economic reasons (e.g., price, Zheng et al., 2021), social and cultural factors (Molinillo et al., 2020), pandemic factors (Sohn et al., 2022; Qi et al., 2023), supply-side factors (such as product, price, place, and promotion; Jiang et al., 2023), communication (Septianto and Kemper, 2021), consumer intrapersonal factors (such as trust, Kamboj et al., 2023; Prakash et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2023), consumer interpersonal factors (Sadiq et al., 2021; Taghikhah et al., 2021), health consciousness (Ali et al., 2021; Ferreira and Pereira, 2023; Kamboj et al., 2023), and food safety consciousness (Nagaraj, 2021; Zheng et al., 2021). In particular, the main motivations for buying OF were identified as health consciousness (HC), food safety consciousness (FSC), and attitude (Iqbal et al., 2021; Zheng et al., 2021; Alam et al., 2022; Su et al., 2022). There may be a relationship between FSC and HC, but this association has not been tested in the aforementioned model.

In light of the rising awareness and consumption of organic food in China, it is vital to examine the associations among FSC, HC, AT toward OF, and consumers’ PI. Furthermore, an investigation is required to determine the mediating role of HC and AT on PI. Previous studies confirm the association of the above three selected variables with consumers’ PI toward OF (Michaelidou and Hassan, 2008; Wang et al., 2019). Furthermore, Su et al. (2022) observe that consumers’ primary concern regarding the food safety of the products they purchase is HC. A limited number of studies suggest that AT has a mediating effect on the impact of FSC on PI; however, there is a lack of comprehensive research that considers the above four factors in the Chinese context.

Guided by the TPB, a study (Nagaraj, 2021) focusing on OF consumers in India and the factors affecting their PI, including consumers’ FSC, HC, AT, and PI, also explores the sequential mediating role of FSC and AT. Simply put, their study examined the effect of HC on FSC, and AT and FSC as mediators of the effects of HC on PI and HC on AT, respectively. Drawing on the modified TPB, Alam et al. (2022) explores Malaysian consumers’ PI for healthy foods, considering similar factors. This is in line with Nagaraj (2021) and Su et al. (2022).

Generation Z (Gen-Z) are individuals born in 1995 or later and are considered to be the “green generation” with more environmental consciousness (Wang et al., 2022). Academic literature also indicates that Gen-Z has purchasing behaviors consistent with green consumption (Ndofirepy and Matema, 2019; Carrión Bósquez et al., 2023) and is health-conscious, paying increased attention to food and its nutritional value (Roh et al., 2022). In addition, Gen-Z in China is estimated to contribute over five trillion yuan toward consumption, even though many of them are still students. This shifts Chinese Gen-Z consumers’ spending patterns into the focus of many businesses (Ma, 2023). This study selected university students as they are more susceptible and responsive to environmental concerns (Carrión Bósquez et al., 2023). Prior researchers (Hoyos-Vallejo et al., 2023; Yang et al., 2023) argue that university students are a suitable group to study as they are part of the customer segment that typically makes purchasing decisions that align with OF benefits.

This study aims to contribute to the existing literature on Chinese Gen-Z’s consumer behavior toward OF. It examines the direct influence of FSC on PI and the indirect influence via the sequential mediating effect of HC and AT. Additionally, this research analyses the effect of FSC on HC and AT, with HC mediating the effect of FSC on AT and FSC mediating the effect on PI. This study provides insights for OF producers and marketing agencies in China to develop strategies to expand their consumer base by examining the effect of FSC on PI toward OF and the mediating impact of HC and AT. The four parameters are interrelated rather than complementary.

TPB has gained significant interest from researchers investigating OF consumption, with the tool being utilized in a range of studies (Carrión Bósquez et al., 2023; Ferreira and Pereira, 2023; Hoyos-Vallejo et al., 2023; Khan et al., 2023; Nguyen and Vo, 2023; Prakash et al., 2023). According to the TPB, AT (favorable or unfavorable) is the most significant predictor of PI (Iqbal et al., 2021). Recent research demonstrates the importance of examining the variables associated with OF purchasing. Existing research examines the factors contributing to consumers’ PI toward OF, such as FSC, HC, and AT, through the theoretical lens of the TPB.

Following 3 years of the global pandemic, we are increasingly aware of the importance of health and food safety. The outbreak has altered consumers’ food buying and consumption habits, compelling them to prioritize health and driving the demand for OF (Li et al., 2021; Ruggiero et al., 2021). In particular, the advent of the Internet has led to a shift in consumer purchasing habits and health consciousness. This study examines the direct and indirect effects of FSC on PI, taking into account the sequential mediation of HC and AT. This is a novel approach, as no similar understanding has been put forward in studies based in China. This context will help to illustrate the significance of these findings. The main findings of this study are as follows.

First, the findings confirm that FSC positively influences HC. The study’s findings are consistent with the arguments presented by Molinillo et al. (2020) and Su et al. (2022) in the case of Brazil, Spain, and Pakistan. These studies suggest that health-conscious consumers who are concerned about safety tend to avoid foods containing chemical substances that may affect their health and instead choose OF. In addition, the findings also highlight the significance of FSC as an antecedent factor influencing consumers’ AT and PI toward OF, which concurs with the results of Liu et al. (2021) in the case of China, Zheng et al. (2021) in the case of Bangladesh, and Alam et al. (2022) in the case of Malaysia. In other words, Gen-Z university students in China intend to purchase OF due to FSC, as they consider OF to be safer than other food products. It is therefore necessary to assess the FSC of consumers in the post-pandemic era and to improve the level of food safety knowledge. The establishment and development of a food safety traceability system will provide customers with clear and accurate information.

Second, the study discovered that consumers’ HC significantly influences (both directly and indirectly) their organic food purchase intention. The study’s findings are consistent with previous studies, such as Ali et al. (2021) in the case of China. The outcomes were also in line with the existing OF research, which indicated that HC plays a pivotal role in influencing consumers’ PI toward OF (Nagaraj, 2021; Dimitrova and Ilieva, 2023; Gomes et al., 2023; Kamboj et al., 2023; Raj et al., 2024). Gen-Z university students in China prefer to purchase OF due to their HC. This is also supported by the recent changes in food consumption habits, with increasing numbers of Chinese customers choosing healthier meals (Qi et al., 2020). Moreover, HC also has a direct impact on AT, which supports the researchers’ observation that HC significantly influences AT (Chetioui et al., 2023; Ferreira and Pereira, 2023). Consequently, to foster a positive consumer perception and attitude toward OF, OF producers need to emphasize the health benefits of organic food in their advertising and promotional activities.

Third, the findings validate the TPB through the significant role of AT. This study’s findings further evidence that AT is a key factor in influencing Gen-Z’s intention to purchase OF, which is consistent with other studies (Nagaraj, 2021; Nafees et al., 2022; Su et al., 2022; Chetioui et al., 2023; Ferreira and Pereira, 2023; Khan et al., 2023; Prakash et al., 2023). Additionally, AT indirectly mediates the impact of FSC on PI, along with HC. That is, as the FSC and HC individually increased, the attitude toward OF and the intention to purchase OF also increased positively, demonstrating that the attitude toward OF and intention to purchase OF were predicted by these motivating factors. It is therefore recommended that these two motivating factors be employed in the promotion activities with the objective of persuading non-organic buyers to consider OF and reinforcing the purchasing behavior of current organic buyers. It is also beneficial to address consumer concerns regarding the perceived health and safety benefits of organic foods.

Finally, this study’s most significant finding, which sets it apart from similar research conducted worldwide, is the sequential mediating role of HC and AT in the indirect effect of FSC on consumer PI (Pacho, 2020; Nagaraj, 2021). This observation reveals that consumers with FSC are influenced by their HC and AT, thereby being motivated to purchase OF. By raising HC, FSC consumers can be encouraged to develop favorable attitudes and become willing to purchase OF. The results presented here align with the transtheoretical model of behavior change (Prochaska and Diclemente, 1983; Norcross et al., 2011), which emphasizes the role of consciousness in influencing attitudes and behavior change. In addition, the findings provide a foundation for extending this theory to the context of organic food consumption. Our study contributes to the body of research on the impact of consumer consciousness on behavior, as recommended by Williams and Poehlman (2017). Furthermore, both HC and AT are significant as single mediating factors. Additionally, they significantly impact the effect of FSC on PI as sequential mediating factors. The sequential mediation results regarding the four factors also demonstrate the significant mediating effect of HC between FSC and AT and AT between HC and PI.

Regarding theoretical contributions, this study adopts a conceptual approach to examine the direct influence of FSC on PI of organic food, and the indirect influence through the sequential mediating role of HC and AT. This research also carries important managerial implications for organizations and managers in the OF industry.

The current study has a few managerial implications. First, “Contextualization of Key Changes”: combined with the identification of key changes in consumer behavior, the findings can assist strategic marketers in the OF industry in identifying the key determinants of consumers’ PI toward OF in the current post-pandemic era. Second, “Segmentation Strategies”: Those with a higher FSC, HC, and a positive attitude toward OF can be considered a loyal market segment for the OF market. Therefore, effective segmentation strategies can be formulated and targeted to the right segment to develop positive promotional strategies.

Third, “Be open and honest about organic food procedures”: the results of this study indicate that consumer FSC positively influences the likelihood of purchasing OF. Consumers pay more attention to food safety and quality information and are more willing to buy OF (Chen and Jaenicke, 2022; Wang et al., 2024). Consequently, it is imperative that organic producers, retailers, and governments devise effective strategies to instill confidence and assurance in consumers when purchasing OF. For instance, they could collaborate to construct a comprehensive OF safety traceability system, providing customers with comprehensive data on the entire production process. Furthermore, the system must be meticulously monitored by government departments, and the regulatory message must be effectively communicated to consumers through authoritative media channels. This will enhance consumers’ trust in the traceability system and address their FSC.

Fourth, “Application of Technology”: Investing in Internet of Things (IoT) technology enables companies to collect and analyze information, increase productivity, and create value for the company and its customers (Di Vaio et al., 2024). The company employs IoT technology to enhance food safety traceability and generate substantial data and industry information resources covering the entire supply chain.

It is of the utmost importance to communicate the traceability of products, as this is a crucial tool for industry operators to guide consumer choices and protect consumers and their health (Arcese et al., 2024). The advent of blockchain technology has facilitated the development of more responsible and sustainable procurement systems. This is due to blockchain technology increasing transparency and certainty about the origin, provenance, and quality of products along the supply chain. This would facilitate the accessibility and sharing of information via the Internet or mobile devices with consumers (Arcese et al., 2024).

Fifth, “Education and Awareness Campaigns”: Despite the growing demand for organic products, consumers often lack knowledge of the real benefits and impacts of organic farming. One strategy to address this is to conduct comprehensive education and publicity programs to raise consumer awareness of the health benefits of consuming OF. These campaigns can highlight the differences between organic and conventional food production methods and emphasize the potential positive impacts of choosing OF on one’s health. Consequently, consumers can be educated through advertisements that organic certification is a reliable indicator of the authenticity of organic foods, thus gradually building their trust in OF.

To conclude, the factors identified in this study as influences on consumers’ intention to purchase healthy OF are of great value to organizations and managers in modifying their marketing campaigns and increasing sales.

Publicly available datasets were analyzed in this study. This data can be found at: the original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Written informed consent was obtained from the individual(s), and minor(s)’ legal guardian/next of kin, for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article.

JP: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Software, Resources, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. K-SW: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Methodology, Formal analysis, Conceptualization.