Unveiling Sustainable Food Choices: How Green Attributes and Environmental Values Drive the Continuous Purchase Intentions of Organic Cocoa in Taiwan

As the global agri-food system faces escalating climate-related challenges, developing localized low-carbon short food supply chains (SFSCs) has become a vital strategy for sustainable agriculture. To elucidate the psychological drivers of green consumer behavior within this context, this study integrates the Stimulus–Organism–Behavior–Consequence (SOBC) framework with the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The aim is to investigate the continuous purchase intentions of Taiwanese consumers for organic cocoa. Data collected via an online survey from 377 consumers with prior cocoa consumption experience were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that personal attitudes and perceived behavioral control positively drive consumption intentions, whereas subjective norms do not. This suggests that consumption behaviors rely on substantive product evaluation rather than social pressures. Additionally, green product attributes and environmental values significantly enhance TPB constructs. Importantly, consumption intentions translate positively into perceived consumer effectiveness and continuous purchase intentions. By elucidating the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainable food choices, this study highlights the value of Taiwan’s “Tree-to-Bar” model. Practically, the findings highlight potential implications for policymakers and agribusinesses regarding how environmental attributes are communicated through front-of-pack (FOP) labels that emphasize local production and low-carbon mileage. Such approaches may help make environmental information more accessible to consumers, although their effectiveness should be evaluated in future research.