From Waste to Wealth: Assessing Awareness and Adoption of Organic Compost/Biofertilizer in the Context of Urban Horticulture and Food Safety in Karachi City

This study investigates the determinants of intention to purchase organic compost in Karachi’s urban horticulture sector. While previous research has largely emphasized organic food adoption, the adoption of compost and biofertilizers remains underexplored, despite their importance for waste management, soil fertility, and food safety. The purpose of this study is to extend the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by incorporating awareness, environmental concern, and health consciousness into the model to better explain compost adoption. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed with data collected from 349 farmers and nursery owners in Gadap Town, Karachi. A structured questionnaire measured six independent variables: awareness, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, environmental concern, and health consciousness against the dependent variable, intention to purchase compost. Data were analyzed using SPSS for descriptive and SmartPLS for structural equation modeling. The results reveal that awareness (β = 0.246), attitude (β = 0.143), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.135), environmental concern (β = 0.139), and health consciousness (β = 0.193) significantly influence purchase intention, while subjective norms (β = 0.055) show no significant effect. The model explains 61.4% (R² = 0.614) of the variance in intention. This study makes a novel contribution by focusing on compost adoption in developing urban contexts, extending TPB with ecological and health-related constructs. The findings provide both theoretical insights and practical guidance for policymakers and marketers aiming to promote sustainable waste-to-resource practices.