Factors Affecting Customers' Organic Vegetable Buying Intentions: A Case Study in the Northern Provinces of Vietnam

Vietnam had the world's 92nd highest cancer rate out of 185 countries and territories in 2020. There are many causes, of which polluted environment and unsafe food are the two primary causes. The large amounts of pesticides in vegetables that are toxic to humans are also harmful to the environment. Therefore, the demand for safe vegetables is increasing while the current supply is not enough, difficult to find and trace the product origin. This study analyzes the demand for organic vegetables in the northern midland and mountainous regions of Vietnam. The research shows that only 77% out of 128 surveyed consumers are knowledgeable about organic vegetables. Among which, 84% knowing about organic vegetables spend 40% of their income on healthy and organic food. After using the SEM model to analyze the influencing factors, it shows that consumers' confidence, understanding and income have positive relations with the intention of buying organic vegetables. Family size is another determinant of organic vegetable buying behaviour. Families with vegetarians or Asian preferences tend to use vegetables more often. Moreover, the study shows that the organic vegetable market in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam is not fully developed; the range of organic agricultural products needs to be expanded, in addition, continuous supply, better marketing, better educating and providing information for customers are necessary to increase the supply as well as the production of organic vegetables in this region.