Drivers of Green Purchase Intention Toward Sustainable Herbal Food Products: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Perspective from a Fragile Economy

Purpose: Sustainable herbal food products represent a growing yet under-researched segment of the green food market, particularly in fragile developing economies where consumer awareness and food marketing infrastructures remain nascent. Drawing on an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how the green food marketing mix (product, price, promotion, and place) shapes consumer attitudes, and how attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and subjective norms jointly predict green purchase intention toward sustainable herbal food products. This study further evaluates whether green perceived value and environmental consciousness moderate these psychological pathways. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey collected data from 640 domestic tourists across three Yemeni cities. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships, complemented by importance–performance map analysis to identify managerial priorities for food marketers. Findings: All four dimensions of the green food marketing mix were significantly associated with tourist attitudes, with green promotion emerging as the strongest antecedent. Attitude, PBC, and subjective norms each significantly predicted purchase intention toward sustainable herbal food products. Green perceived value and environmental consciousness significantly amplified the influence of attitude and PBC on intention, whereas subjective norms operated independently of these moderators. Originality/value: This study advances the green food consumption literature by integrating external food marketing stimuli with internal psychological and value-based mechanisms within a single TPB-based framework. It offers novel evidence from a fragile economy context and provides actionable insights for food producers, marketers, and policymakers seeking to promote sustainable herbal food consumption in emerging and under-studied markets.