I Better “Not to”: Voluntary Sustainability Constraints in Mindful Organic Food Consumption

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to understand constraints from limitations and skepticism to a form of agency in consumer ethics. Framed in Granular Interaction Thinking theory, our study addresses the research question of how the voluntary sustainability constraints leverage mindful consumption . The quantitative research design builds upon an online survey and data analysis by fitting a composite‐based structural equation model using the partial least squares algorithm. A complementary NCA of our sample comprising 388 responses allowed us to examine which determinants are necessary and which are sufficient to understand inclination for and skepticism towards organic food. Results indicate that ego‐focused motivations lead respondents to adopt voluntary sustainability constraints, and organic food is preferred if relevant social peers are motivated to do so. The practical contribution is that the lack of (marketing) communications encouraging and (re‐)confirming consumers' inclination towards healthier options directly results in skepticism towards organic food.