健康意識、景氣預期與有機食品購買意圖之研究

Abstract

本研究探討COVID-19大流行後，台灣消費者在經濟壓力與追求健康之間的選擇與取捨。亦即台灣消費者對有機食品的購買意願，如何受到健康意識及景氣預期的影響。近年來，人們對健康飲食的重視，以及全球永續發展目標（SDGs）的推動，有機食品市場蓬勃發展。然而，台灣是以外貿為主的經濟體，出口連續十個月的衰退，此情況將衝擊國內經濟市場，是否影響有機食品市場有值得深入瞭解。回顧2008年金融危機期間，健康意識抬頭，全球有機食品需求持續成長，而現在又再次面臨景氣不確定時，消費者是否仍會繼續選擇較高價但卻具有健康、安全價值的有機食品，是本研究的主要焦點。 本研究以延伸的計畫行為理論(extended Theory of Planned Behavior)為基本理論模型，檢視消費者對有機食品的購買意圖，除了受到態度、主觀規範及知覺行為控制能力的影響外，是否也受到健康意識及景氣預期的影響。本研究發現，儘管經濟預期對消費者的購買行為有一定影響，但有機食品的購買意願方面，健康意識的影響似乎大於經濟預期的不確定。研究結果顯示，景氣預期對購買有機食品的行為意圖為負向影響，但為邊緣顯著。此發現對台灣有機產品市場發展提供了支持，並為未來有機市場提供了一些建議。

This study investigates the choices and trade-offs Taiwanese consumers make between economic pressures and the pursuit of health following the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically, how their willingness to purchase organic food is influenced by health consciousness and anticipated economic conditions.

In recent years, people's emphasis on healthy eating, along with the global drive for sustainable development, has led to a thriving organic food market. However, Taiwan's economy is heavily reliant on foreign trade, and with exports declining for ten consecutive months, the impact on the domestic economy, and whether it will influence the organic food market, is worth deep exploration. Looking back at the 2008 financial crisis, health awareness was on the rise, and the demand for organic food continued to grow globally. Yet now, facing less optimistic economic conditions, whether consumers will continue to choose more expensive organic food is a primary focus of this study.

This study is based on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior as the fundamental theoretical model to examine consumers' purchasing intentions towards organic food. Apart from being influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, this study also investigates whether purchasing intentions are affected by health consciousness and economic expectations. The findings reveal that, although economic expectations do exert a certain influence on consumer buying behavior, the impact of health consciousness seems to outweigh the uncertainty of economic expectations when it comes to the willingness to purchase organic food. The research results show that economic expectations have a negative effect on the behavioral intention to buy organic food, but this is only marginally significant. This finding supports the development of the organic product market in Taiwan and provides suggestions for the future organic market.