1. Introduction
Socially responsible consumption tackles environmental, ethical, and social factors that entail economic effects. This began as green consumption, which considered environmental matters. After adding ethical matters, it came to be ethical consumption, and upon considering social matters, it became socially responsible consumption [
1]. The consumption of organic food products can be considered as socially responsible, since it entails benefits for the environment, consumers, and smallholder farmers. This reverts the deterioration of the environment because organic food products are grown free from chemical pesticides and fertilisers [
2,
3]. For the consumers, it affords security regarding their health. Meanwhile, for the smallholder farmers, it provides economic gains [
3], income to feed their families, and motivation to revive their ancestral practices. However, the consumer market in Mexico is poor—15% of organic production supplies the internal market, and 85% is exported to the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan [
4]. This creates a gap in the knowledge of consumer behaviour regarding organic food products in Mexico to identify a potential market for the purchase of these products and increase internal consumption.
In Mexico, organic food production is sustained by organised smallholder farmers of indigenous origin [
5]. This is concentrated mainly in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, both with more than 70% of their population living in poverty [
6]. To promote organic products in Mexico, the “Red Mexicana de Tianguis (traditional street markets in Mexico) y Mercados Orgánicos” (Mexican Network of Tianguis and Organic Markets) supports the commercialisation of these products [
7]. A purchase intention model for organic food products can support smallholder farmers in redirecting their marketing strategies to attend to the segment of consumers of organic food products and, as such, increase their sales revenue. Armed with the knowledge of the factors involved, the markets can be efficient, and the producers can obtain a greater value for their products [
8]; moreover, the consumers get good value, and the environment benefits from this cocreation of value.
The analysis of the consumption of organic products has been studied based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) [
9,
10]. In this theory, it is claimed that the relationships between attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control are what influence the purchase intention [
11]. However, previous studies also demonstrate that attitude is the predictor with the biggest influence on purchase intention, more so than subjective norms and perceived behavioural control [
12,
13,
14].
Under the prism of the TPB, there is sufficient empirical evidence to prove the significant and positive relationship between attitude and purchase intention in different contexts of socially responsible consumption. For example, to explain the purchase intention of organic products for personal care [
12], the purchasing of green products [
13], or the purchasing of insect-based food products [
14]. These previous studies give statistical evidence that in the TPB, attitude is the predictor that contributes the most to purchase intention, above subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, and provides the evaluation of the purchase benefits, such as organic food products being healthier, more nutritious, and more sustainable [
15].
However, through the TPB, the motives that induce behavioural intention are not explained. The model of goal-directed behaviour (MGB) expands the TPB to include desire as the element that supplies the motives that cause an individual to act. The desire to achieve a goal is that which induces the behavioural intention bound to that goal [
16]. For example, if an individual desires to achieve a goal such as caring for their health, and the purchase of organic food products helps them in achieving this goal, then the desire to care for their health will influence the individual’s purchase intention for organic food products.
The MGB model adds the motivational process to the theory of planned behaviour by adding desire. This model indicates that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control through desire are transformed into a behavioural motivation, with desire acting as a mediator of these relationships [
16]. Desire draws on the passions and emotions of the individual to reach a personal goal [
17], whether it be physical or related to health or appearance. However, desire also influences the decision of an ethical activity [
18], decisions on green purchases [
19], and socially responsible consumption [
20]. In this study, the TPB model was expanded using the MGB model to analyse the mediating effect of consumer desire for organic food products in emerging economies. In this context, purchasing behaviours regarding organic food products are low, and the consumer perception regarding this kind of purchase is closely related to the price, with the benefits provided to one’s health, the care for the environment, and the direct economic benefits for smallholder farmers considered as much less relevant factors.
This study seeks to analyse the mediating effect of desire on the relationship between attitude and purchase intention. The purpose is to contribute to the literature on socially and environmentally responsible and ethical consumers, through the understanding of the mediating effect of desire, added as an extension of the TPB. In doing so, this study also seeks to generate knowledge on desire, attitude, and consumer purchase intention of organic food products in emerging economies, where a great number of agricultural producers are small and use organic food production practices and ancestral sowing techniques. The results might serve marketing practitioners in designing sales strategies for the socially responsible consumers segment of the market, which can positively impact the economy of smallholder farmer families, the local and countrywide economy, and the revival of organic production, which has larger labour demands [
5,
21], favouring the environment and the socially responsible market.
The rest of the document is organised in the following format. First, the context of the investigation is detailed. Second, the theoretical construction and formulation of the hypotheses are presented. Third, the method of investigation is described. Then, the results are exhibited. In the final sections, the discussion and implication of the study are presented, as well as the limitations and future investigations.
2. Context of the Study: Organic Production in Mexico
In 2018, Mexico was one of the five main countries with emerging economies that are rich in biodiversity and natural resources [
22]. It is one of the main producers of organic foods. In 2018, Mexico occupied the 40th place in the world regarding the surface area of organic farming and the 20th place in terms of the number of producers [
23]. In ten years, it has shown a growth of more than 500%, from 71,780.71 tons of organic production in 2009 to 375,329.70 tons in 2019 [
24]. Organic agriculture generates multiple jobs due to the labour needs, as it demands 30% more per hectare compared to conventional agriculture [
5]. Thus, organic agriculture is an important economic activity.
Organic production has an advantage in the exportation market. 80% of the organic production in Mexico was allocated to exportation in 2020 [
25]. It is an attractive market thanks to the surcharge of such products at international level, with a notable demand for organic goods in the American, German, French, English, Italian, Swiss, and Japanese markets [
4,
26].
In Mexico, organic agriculture is closely related to smallholder farmers from rural areas with the highest index of gaps in education, marginalisation, and poverty, such as Chiapas and Oaxaca [
5,
6,
21]. Michoacán, Chiapas, and Oaxaca cover an expanse of 31,571.37 hectares (
Table 1), which represented 67.46% of the sowed surface area of Mexico in 2019 [
27]. The three crops with the highest sowed surface area in Mexico in 2019 were coffee, with 23,034.90 ha, avocados, with 9599.80 ha, and mangoes, with 4786.41 ha [
27].
4. Method
A cross-sectional and explanatory study was done to prove the proposed hypotheses. To compile the data, a structured questionnaire was developed and given to consumers of organic food products from Mexico.
A pre-evaluation of the model was performed, which consisted of the specification of the structural model, the examination of the data, and an estimation of the model. A diagram was prepared which illustrates the hypotheses of the investigation (
Figure 1). The variables were integrated starting with a reduction of factors through principal component analysis with Varimax rotation and Kaiser normalisation. The statistical package “Statistical Package of the Social Science (SPSS) version 20” was used for the reduction of factors. In addition, the content of the latent variables was examined and deemed to be reflective.
For contrasting the hypotheses, an analysis of the data was performed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). This technique was applied since it is recommended to use PLS-SEM for models with more than six indicators per construct [
48,
49], by means of PLS consistent data processing [
50]. The evaluation of the results consisted of two phases—the assessment of the measurement model and the structural model [
49]. Meanwhile, to evaluate the mediation effect, the test for the significance of the indirect effect and the test for the significance of the direct effect were also conducted [
51,
52]. The instrument was subjected to the evaluation of the results through the software Smart PLS version 3 with a sample of 204 respondents [
53].
4.1. Questionnaire
A structured questionnaire was designed based on the literature review on the topic, to analyse the purchase intention for organic food products [
9,
10,
16,
32,
54]. The final questionnaire consisted of 24 items measured with a 7-points Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree). Four items measured the attitude, four measured the purchase intention, eight measured desire, and eight made up the descriptive data of the respondents. The used data collection method was the survey, and the information collection techniques were face-to-face interviews and self-administered interviews through forms implemented using social media.
4.2. Variable Operationalisation and Measurements
Attitude was defined as the favourable evaluation of a behaviour in relation to behavioural beliefs [
13,
36,
37]. Its operational definition was the amount of consumer agreement with buying organic food products due to perceiving them as favourable products for their health and appearance, the environment, and society; it was measured using four items [
9].
Purchase intention was defined as the disposition towards the purchase of organic food products [
55]. Its operational definition was the amount of consumer disposition and loyalty towards buying organic food products; for its measurement, four items were used which included the loyalty of the customer, repurchasing, recommendation, and the search for the products [
10,
32,
54]. The purchase intention variable was measured with a Likert scale of 7 points, from 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (completely agree).
Desire was defined as the mental state that leads an individual to have behavioural motives [
40]. This variable was operationally defined as the amount of consumer encouragement to buy organic food products to achieve a personal goal regarding their appearance and health, the environment, and society. It was evaluated with 8 items, which were adapted to the context of the study with indicators on the environment, agricultural producers, and the appearance and health of the consumer [
16]. This variable was measured with a Likert scale of 7 points, from 1 (very weak) to 7 (very strong).
The items used to measure the variables of the study are presented in
Table 2. The operational variables have a common factor (reflective).
4.3. Sample
PLS-SEM can be applied with a small sample size, since it performs estimates of partial model structures and not of all the parameters at the same time; therefore, the minimum sample size requirement depends on the complexity of the individual equations [
56]. To determine the minimum sample size for Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling, the statistical power, level of significance, size effect, and number of predictors were specified [
57,
58]. A statistical power of 0.8 and a level of significance of 0.05 were specified, as they were considered acceptable for behavioural studies [
59]. The size effect was considered average, as in similar studies [
60]. Therefore, with a medium size effect, a statistical power of 0.8, a level of significance of 0.05, and two predictors according to the model, the minimum required size was 68 [
57]. The size of the study sample covered the minimum requirement.
Non-probability sampling was performed through quotas to fulfil the minimum required sample size for the PLS-SEM data processing. The sample selection was guided by two criteria: (1) consumers who have made a purchase of organic food products, (2) consumers who are older than 18 years of age.
The selection of sampling location was stratified by Mexican entities with a large demand for organic food products. The demand for organic food products was determined based on the application “Google Maps”, considering that the sites with the most offers for these products concentrated the consumers. In this application, the search was made in each Mexican entity with the key words: organic markets, organic tianguis, organic shops, with a result of 220 markets, tianguis, and shops specialising in the sale of organic products. Three Mexican entities with a large demand for organic products were chosen: Mexico City, with 20 establishments, the State of Mexico, with 16 establishments, and the state of Oaxaca, with 15 establishments.
The face-to-face interviews were given in five establishments selling organic food products, which were chosen randomly in the selected sampling location. The consumers who fit the selection criteria were invited to participate in the survey voluntarily. The rate of response was 1:2.
For the data collected via social media, the questionnaire was applied through Google Forms in social media groups on Facebook orientated towards the purchase of organic food products. The participants who were interested in responding to the questionnaire were selected through filter questions to make sure they complied with the two criteria of the selection sample. In each group, information on the investigation and the link to the questionnaire for its application were provided.
35% of the data was collected via social media groups on Facebook and 65% through face-to-face interviews. The 204 complete questionnaires were distributed between Mexico City (40.2%), the State of Mexico (30.9%), and the state of Oaxaca (28.9%). 37.7% of the consumers of organic food products were between the ages of 31 and 45 years; 36.3% between 18 and 30 years; and the rest, more than 45 years. 67.6% of the participants were women. 50.5% of the consumers had received tertiary education, and 23.6% had received postgraduate education. 43.1% of the consumers were single, 45.6% married, and 8.8% in a civil union. The descriptive data for the sample is shown in
Table 3.
6. Discussions and Implications
The data of this study confirm that consumer desire for organic food products has a mediating effect on the relationship between attitude and purchase intention of this kind of product. Consumer desire intervenes to increase the purchase intention for organic food products when consumers favourably evaluate the benefits for the environment, the consumer, and the producer when they consume this kind of product.
In Mexico, studies on the consumption of organic products show that consumers are motivated by their health and the environment [
72]. However, the results of this study go further and reveal that consumers are also motivated by caring for their appearance and for the economic wellbeing of producers. In this study, the consumers of organic food products demonstrate the main goals of their purchase intention. This indicates that the consumers of organic food products put their personal, social, and environmental desire first in their purchase intention; but also that the attitude towards the purchase plays a predictive role in desire, which contributes to perceiving that the benefits of consuming organic food products which will contribute to their goals are feasible. This confirms that desire can be bound together with ethical decisions [
17]. Accordingly, in studies of socially responsible consumption, it is useful to include desire as a variable, as it positively influences the intention of socially responsible behaviour.
The discoveries of this study in Mexico contribute to the model of goal-directed behaviour to explain purchase behaviour. This contribution is based on the significant relationships found in the purchase intention model for organic food products and on its great explanatory power. Other similar studies also confirm the positive and significant relationships between attitude and purchase intention [
45], between attitude and desire [
38,
39], and between desire and intention [
20,
73], although the main value of this study is to confirm the relationship among the three variables together, integrating desire as a mediator. Additionally, purchase intention has a larger determination coefficient than in studies where desire is not considered as a mediator [
74]. It stands out that the addition of desire in the model has a significant role, given its complementary mediatory effect, and that it positively influences the relationship between attitude and purchase intention.
This study provides information to put forth marketing models directed towards socially responsible consumers. These marketing strategies can be focused on giving information to the consumer about the benefits of acquiring organic food products, not just for themselves, but also for the environment and the local producers. In Mexico, there is a closeness between the consumers of organic food products and smallholder farmers, given that the markets in which smallholder farmers operate are tianguis, fairs, and specialised shops where, most of the time, interaction is one-on-one. The interpersonal relationships that the consumer and the businessperson establish provide first-hand information to the consumers and increases their knowledge of the benefits of this kind of products and the implications of these purchases. However, the dynamic of local markets differs from other, more developed markets. For example, in big supermarkets where the consumer does not know the producer, nor is there one-on-one interaction, the consumer can only obtain information regarding the benefits of organic food products through secondary sources. This demands product strategies that provide more information on personal, environmental, and/or social benefits associated with the consumption of organic food products. This information will help future consumers who have the desire to care for their health, care for their appearance, protect the environment, and support the producers to know more about the benefits of purchasing organic food products, through marketing campaigns that will increase their purchase intention. Upon buying organic food products, future consumers would meet their goals and, as such, contribute to the economy of the agricultural producers of Mexico, as well as benefiting the environment.
7. Limitations and Future Research
One of the limitations of the study was that the analysis only included purchase intention and not purchase behaviour. The scope of the research limited the analysis of purchase intention, since it was not clear that the consumers, who had at any time purchased organic food products, had a clear purchase behaviour for this kind of products. As such, it is recommended that future investigations evaluate purchase behaviour.
Another limitation of the study was the sampling location. This included local markets, specialised shops, fairs and tianguis. Supermarkets and other, more developed markets where the consumer does not have direct contact with the producers were not contemplated. It is recommended that future investigations include more developed markets as sampling locations to analyse sustainable behavioural intention.
In Mexico, the consumer obtains information on the benefits of organic food products through primary resources, given that, in most of the places where these products are bought, interaction is one-on-one (producer-consumer). However, in more developed markets, the consumers do not have this kind of interaction, and the information on organic food products is not obtained through primary sources. It is recommended that future investigations measure the effect of knowledge on the purchase intention of socially responsible consumers in more developed markets.
In accordance with the results, the majority of those interviewed were women and had a tertiary level education. As such, it is recommended that, in future research on socially responsible consumption, an analysis should be performed by population segments considering the gender and education level of the consumers and comparing them. Perhaps this phenomenon could lead to a generalisation with other market contexts.
It is finally recommended that the business strategies that incentivise the purchase of organic food products consider the social, environmental, and personal factors of the consumers.