Physical Accessibility and Organic Food Purchase Intention: The Moderating Role of Consumer Awareness in Sri Lanka.

Growing consumer concerns about food safety, environmental sustainability, and health are reflected in the rising demand for organic food. Although this worldwide trend, structural and informational barriers continue to hinder the use of organic food in developing countries like Sri Lanka. This study investigates how physical accessibility affects Sri Lankan consumers' intentions to buy organic food and how consumer knowledge influences this relationship. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), consumer awareness is viewed as a cognitive moderating element and physical accessibility as a structural determinant that is in line with perceived behavioral control. A structured questionnaire was used to gather primary data from customers in various parts of Sri Lanka as part of a quantitative research methodology. The suggested hypotheses were tested using statistical methods such as correlation analysis, moderation analysis, reliability and validity testing, and descriptive analysis. The results show that the intention to purchase organic food is significantly positively impacted by physical accessibility. Although it has an independent impact on purchasing decisions, consumer knowledge does not significantly modify the relationship between physical accessibility and purchase intention. These findings suggest that the lack of access to organic food products cannot be made up for by awareness alone. By expanding the TPB framework to include structural market restrictions and cognitive moderators influencing sustainable consumption behavior in a developing country context, the study makes a theoretical contribution. Practically speaking, the results underscore the significance of strengthening distribution networks while simultaneously increasing consumer education and awareness to encourage sustainable consumption in Sri Lanka, providing insightful information for marketers, retailers, and policymakers.