Abstract:
Good agricultural practices (GAP) certification has become a benchmark for ensuring food quality
and promoting sustainable agriculture. This study aims to examine how consumer perceptions of
GAP-certified produce, as along with related marketing elements, influence consumer buying
behaviour. Primary data were collected from the 100 consumers of the Gannoruwa GAP-certified
produce sales center using a pretested structured questionnaire and simple random sampling.
Data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling to assess the
relationship between consumer perceptions, market elements and purchase intention. The
results revealed that overall awareness, knowledge and attitude levels towards GAP-certified
produce were close to a high, with mean values of 3.66, 3.34 and 3.64 respectively on a five-point
Likert scale. Regarding marketing elements, the results of the Wilcoxon sign-rank test indicated
that consumers prioritized environmentally friendly features and benefits over price (Mean =
3.71, p = 0.000) and agreed that the premium price is worth the benefits (Mean = 3.58, p = 0.000).
Availability in preferred locations and recommendations significantly influenced purchasing
decisions. Consumer perception (path coefficient= 0.020, p =0958) was not statistically
significant for purchase intention. Only product market elements (path coefficient = 0.55, p=
0.001) and effective market communication (path coefficient = 0.213, p=0.015) were significant
factors influencing purchase intention. Purchase intention was positively correlated with gender
(0.407, p = 0.047) and annual income (0.204, p = 0.047). However, willingness to pay extra and
purchase frequency showed no significant relationship with consumer perception or marketing
elements. The findings suggested that enhancing the product quality of GAP-certified produce and
ensuring effective market communication can improve purchase intention, with higher sales
achievable by targeting higher-income consumers.
