Intention to purchase sustainable food: the role of epistemic trust, credibility of science and scepticism about climate change

Purpose This study investigated the role of epistemic trust in shaping consumers intentions towards purchasing sustainable food products by examining the relationships between epistemic trust, credibility of science, scepticism about climate change and intentions to purchase sustainable food. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a survey. A total of 391 consumers participated in the study. Structural equation modelling was employed for data analysis. Findings The results showed that the trust dimension was significantly and positively associated with credibility of science ( p = 0.004) and negatively with scepticism about climate change ( p = 0.018); mistrust was significantly and negatively associated with credibility of science ( p = ≤0.001); credibility of science had a significant negative effect on scepticism about climate change ( p = ≤0.001) and scepticism about climate change had a significant direct and negative impact on intention to purchase sustainable food ( p = ≤0.001). Furthermore, results indicated that the link between trust, mistrust and intention to purchase sustainable food was significantly mediated by the credibility of science and scepticism about climate change. Practical implications The results can preliminarily suggest policies promoting transparency and direct consumer experiences in organisational practices, with implications extending to other sectors like education and public information. Originality/value For the first time, epistemic trust is specifically considered as an antecedent of intentions to purchase sustainable food, while also examining its relationships with scepticism about climate change and the credibility of science.