The Influence of Socio-Demographic Factors on the Sustainable Consumption of Organic Vegetables in Romania

This study analyzes how socio-demographic factors influence the sustainable consumption of organic vegetables in Romania. Following behavioral theories such as the Theory of Planned Behavior and Value-Belief-Norm models, the study explores how attitudes, trust, and socio-demographic characteristics shape individual purchasing decisions. The main objective was to analyze the frequency of consumption of organic vegetables, the reasons for action, the level of trust in organic certification and preferences regarding distribution channels in relation to socio-demographic variables. The research was based on a structured questionnaire applied to a sample of 533 respondents, selected from various regions of the country. The statistical analysis included descriptive and inferential methods, namely the Chi-square test for the association between variables, the Spearman coefficient for ordinal correlations and the Mann–Whitney U test for the comparison of independent groups. Results show that the frequency of organic vegetable consumption decreases as income and education rise, a pattern influenced by Romania’s market structure and cultural context, where higher-income consumers often prefer imported or internationally certified products, while middle-income groups sustain local purchases. Health is the main motivation for the purchase, while aspects related to environmental protection and support for local producers are mentioned secondarily. Price perception is significantly associated with age, income, and education, and the preference for purchasing channels especially depends on educational level. Trust in producers correlates with gender and income, while trust in certification labels shows no significant associations. These findings provide insight into how socio-demographic characteristics shape sustainable consumption behaviors and build a solid foundation for the development of the organic products market in Romania.