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1. Introduction
The assumption that future generations will largely depend on the sustainability initiatives of the present generation makes sustainable consumption a vital area of study (Quoquab et al., 2019; Taleizadeh et al., 2022; Zhao et al., 2019). Sustainability examines how an individual consumes and disposes of products (Kumagai, 2020; Perez-Castillo and Vera-Martinez, 2021). It also involves the choices made by individuals to select products that could protect the environment (Jaiswal et al., 2022; Kautish et al., 2022; Kaur et al., 2018). Besides, consumers are now increasingly sensitive toward the manufacturing and processing of products they intend to buy (Wadera and Kaur, 2019). Further, as a consequence of COVID-19, the attention to food as a central element of healthy life has emerged. COVID-19 has brought thinking of resilience in emergencies through healthy eating (WHO, 2022). Therefore, the environmental consciousness (Wang et al., 2019) and health consciousness (Nagaraj, 2021) among consumers are reflected in research on organic foods more prevalently post the pandemic.
Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) consumers show a special concern for health and sustainability and purchase products that help conserve the environment and aid in the growth of local products (Cheng et al., 2019). A study done by Forbes (2021) showed that 93% of the samples indicated a concern for the environment out of which the major ones listed were plastic pollution (40.1%), biodiversity loss (39.1%) and climate change (38%). This trend has become very popular since 2017 (Ma et al., 2019). The linkage of sustainability to all facets of consumption has started to increase in various industries. This brings in an increasing demand for healthy nutrition along with a rising concern toward the environment and sustainability.
Similarly, the food industry is under the pressure of producing sustainable processes according to the expectations of conscious consumers and global challenges. This makes organic food one of the products which could be targeted to LOHAS consumers. Organic foods are products that have been manufactured with the use of the production method, which is compliant with regulation rules, at all stages of production, preparation and distribution (Basha and Lal, 2019). Additionally, the organic foods industry is still in its infancy and disorganized but is rapidly expanding...