The purpose of this research is to examine the factors that influence customers' purchasing decisions toward organic foods. Despite the promising use of organic food, to the best of our knowledge, there have only been a few studies regarding purchase intentions to use organic food. The research study was designed to investigate the impact of perceived value and subjective norms on the purchase intention of organic food among the customers of Nagdunga, Kathmandu Valley. A theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used as a theoretical framework. In the study, two variables are taken as independent variables (IDVs): perceived value (PV) and subjective norms (SN), and purchase intention (PI) of organic food is taken as the dependent variable (DV). Data collection is done with the help of a structured questionnaire, which was distributed among 120 people, out of which 89 (74.17 percent) peoples represents the sample size. The research design held in the study consists of descriptive, relational, and causal research designs. Various tools used for data analysis were mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, and correlation. The findings revealed that subjective norms were found to be the most influential factor, followed by perceived value. The ranking of factors influencing organic food consumption showed avoidance of harmful chemicals as the most important, followed by ecosystem preservation and preservation of agricultural diversity. The study’s findings emphasize the importance of aligning marketing strategies with social influences and highlighting the health and environmental benefits of organic foods. The study offers insightful information for agro product producers, scholars, regulators, and marketers. The regulatory authorities should promote organic food consumption by enhancing awareness of these benefits and addressing perceived value concerns.
Keywords: Consumer preference and availability, organic food products, perceived value, purchase intention, subjective norms