What is driving the organic food revolution in China: Concern for the Common Good or Self Interest?

This study investigates the possible underlying motives of organic food consumption in China: consumer concerns for the common good or self interests (including concern for personal risks and the perceived quality benefits of organic food products). Norm Activation theory, cognitive stress coping theory, and attitude-behaviour model are drawn upon to explore consumer intention to pay a price premium and self-reported weekly expenditure. Data were collected using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey in collaboration with local grocery retailers in three cosmopolitan cities in China. The results indicate that organic product benefits are more powerful than either concern for the common good or concern for self in explaining consumer intention to pay and weekly organic food expenditure. In addition to the direct effect, organic product benefits have indirect effect on expenditure through the partial mediation of intention to pay. The findings provide implications for the theories explaining the phenomenon of changing food consumption behaviour, and for food marketing strategies and public policies.