How Consumers’ Motivations Influence Preferences for Organic Agricultural Products in Türkiye?

Despite Türkiye’s high agricultural potential, consumer interest in organic foods remains limited. Understanding the motivations of Turkish consumers who prefer organic foods is crucial for expanding the domestic organic market. This research aims to explain consumers’ attitudes and purchasing behaviors toward organic agricultural products by utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theories and examining the impact of health, environmental, economic, and social motivations on these attitudes and behaviors. Research data were obtained from online surveys conducted with 952 adult consumers across Türkiye. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used in the analysis of the data. Research results show that females purchase more organic agricultural products than males, and consumer aged 36 and over purchase more organic agricultural products than those aged 18–25. In the research, health-related, environmental, economic, and social motivations were found to be statistically significant in terms of consumer attitudes. It has been determined that social motivations are statistically significant in the purchasing behavior of organic agricultural products. The results show that a positive attitude towards organic agricultural products has been formed, but only social motivations can motivate consumers to purchase. The results indicate that the attitude and perceived behavioral control dimensions of the TPB, when considered in conjunction with the value- and norm-based explanations of the VBN, provide a more holistic explanation of organic product consumption. These findings highlight the importance of developing marketing strategies that center on social motivations and value-based communication. Furthermore, Turkish consumers’ economic constraints and product price differences also influence their purchasing decisions. In this context, incentives for low-income groups, such as discount campaigns and promotions, are recommended.