DETERMINANTS OF CONSUMERS' BUYING BEHAVIOUR WITH REFERENCE TO THE ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD PRODUCTS

International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 211 DETERMINANTS OF CONSUMERS’ BUYING BEHAVIOUR WITH REFERENCE TO THE ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD PRODUCTS Dr. Manjunatha N Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce Government First Grade College, Srinivaspur (BNU) Kolar District. Karnataka, India—563135 1. INTRODUCTION The use of food items "that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials, and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations" is referred to as consumption. Li, L., and Yang, S. (2018). Customers are crucial to food consumption, and their actions stress the ecosystem in two ways. U. Schrader (2011). The fact that many customers voice concerns about the environment yet do not always take action is scarcely unexpected. T. Jackson (2014). In other words, there is a significant difference between the buyer's mindset and the actual purchase of sustainable food goods, or the attitude-behavior gap, despite the fact that consumer attitudes toward environmental sustainability are generally positive. New consuming habits that are more focused on social, economic, and environmental sustainability have been sparked in recent years by consumers' growing INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm ISSN 2249-5908 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT ©2025 RS Publication Paper ID: IJRM693FEFFC5E957 Published: 2025-12-16 DOI: https://dx.doi.org /10.5281/zenodo.17 951708 Page No: 211-224 Abstract: Buying eco-friendly food products plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development, environmental protection, and human well-being. One of the major significances is environmental conservation. Eco-friendly food products are produced using natural farming methods that minimize the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, thereby reducing soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. The main objective of this research is to study determinants of buying behaviour with reference to the eco-friendly food products in Kolar District. The respondents who uses eco-friendly products are the main target audience to collect the data. There were 892 respondents were targeted to collect the data. Convenient sampling techniques were used for the study purpose. and a structured questionnaire was used for the field survey as a data collection tool. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The research revealed that both buyer’s perspective and market conditions are the variables significantly influencing purchasing of Eco-friendly food products by the consumers of Kolar district. Keywords: Eco-friendly, Food, Products, Buyer, Behavior, Kolar, Cite This Paper: Dr. Manjunatha N (2025). "DETERMINANTS OF CONSUMERS’ BUYING BEHAVIOUR WITH REFERENCE TO THE ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD PRODUCTS". INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT (IJRM), vol. 15, no. 6, 2025, pp. 211-224. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17951708 International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 212 concerns about food safety, environmental sustainability, and social justice issues. Bostan, I., and Roman, T. (2015). This involves the expansion of alternative distribution chains that highlight the significance of local food production, as well as the rising consumer desire for sustainable food, local food, and other sustainable food and beverage consumption. In order to comprehend and influence ESFC, a goal-directed framework is first constructed. The framework's central premise is that, similar to most human activity, eating is either purposefully or inadvertently motivated by achieving objectives (Xiao, J.J.; Li, H. 2010). Food corporations' marketing campaigns have also influenced dietary standards, population-level preferences for food and drink categories, and the customs, traditions, and values that support eating habits. Liu, Y.; Qu, Y.; Lei, Z. (2017). Human societies place a great deal of importance on food choices and behaviors, and food intake extends well beyond its practical use as a means of survival. Since eating habits have a major role on people's lifestyles and sociocultural surroundings, they are infamously difficult to alter. From a goal-directed viewpoint, food consumption can be focused on reducing negative environmental effects, but individuals also purchase and consume food items to satiate their hunger, experience sensory pleasure, communicate their social standing, adhere to conventions and reference groups, etc. Accordingly, vegetarians and vegans consider the environment as just another justification for sticking to a meatless diet, among other reasons, according to their review, which sought to understand consumers' views towards reducing meat consumption. They also discovered that attitudes on meat, diet, and individual conduct hinder consumer knowledge. The authors specifically discovered that consumers who are healthconscious had an impact on the category of ready-to-eat items, particularly fresh-cut fruits. ESFC is exemplified by eating more plant-based or insect-based meals, consuming less meat, and choosing seasonal goods. Purchasing food that is produced locally and/or sustainably may also be more ecologically friendly in some but not all situations. Although many people already have favorable opinions about sustainable food, there is still a significant gap between the buyer's mindset and the actual purchase and consumption of more sustainable food products. M. Phipps (2012). Customers' propensity to purchase a food product was discovered to be influenced by factors such as flavor, nutrition, and health (Paavola, J. 2001). This demonstrated how hedonistic and altruistic motivations—the latter reinforced by a sense of self-responsibility connected to the preservation of society and the environment—overlap to produce the trend towards sustainable consumption patterns. The shift towards sustainable consumption behaviors in India appears to be motivated by ethical considerations as well (Abdulrazak, S. 2017). The current study attempts to contribute to behavioral solutions for environmental concerns in the food domain by developing a thorough theoretical framework in which we incorporate scholarly ideas and research findings from several disciplines (Sharma, R.; Jha, M. 2017). In relation to sustainable consumption, which is one of the primary production examples of sustainable consumption practices, (Kadic-Maglajlic, S. 2019) highlighted that consumers' growing interest in sustainable food products is not only a result of their desire to preserve rural areas or protect the environment, but it has also been demonstrated that consumer preferences for sustainable extra-virgin olive oil are primarily driven by the perceived benefits of sustainable food consumption on health issues. Additionally, (Epstein, M.J. 2014) has emphasized the preference for health attributes. Furthermore, Quoquab, F. and Mohammad, J. (2019) demonstrated that the consumer's convenience orientation was a factor in the trend toward the choice International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 213 for the health characteristic and that it was not just associated with green goods. Due to their complexity, food-related decisions can be influenced by a variety of social, cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. In conclusion, initiatives to support ESFC compete with other contextual factors that affect people's dietary decisions. Adopting sustainable consumption behaviors is necessary due to the increasing threat to the environment. Knowing the end user is essential to comprehending and creating the best plan for sustainable consumption. This is due to the fact that buyer choice, consumer awareness, choices, behaviors, and lifestyles all influence the strategy to be used in order to accomplish sustainable development, which is one of the most important agreements to emerge in the past ten years. Pretner, G.; Testa, F. (2020). Customers' interest in a Buyers Diet consciousness is driven by the perception that these products promote good health while also being environmentally friendly, according to Tanner (2003), who emphasized the significance of a product's health attribute as an important driver of sustainable consumption practices among consumers. Additionally, as seen by the increasing number of vegan customers in their sample, they emphasized in their study that the trend towards a plant-based diet is also maintained for ethical grounds (Robert, K.W. 2005). 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Diverse demographic groups differ in their perspectives on and readiness to embrace sustainable eating practices. Although society may accept sustainable consumption in theory, this does not always result in sustainable consumption behavior, which is more likely to be associated with awareness of the longterm consequences over the natural or social environment, being controlled consumption for the sake of the environment (Vecchio, R.; Annunziata, A. 2013). According to (Dolnicar, S.; Grün, B. 2008), there are purchase obstacles since the market share of sustainable food is lower than the stated desires. Global eating habits are unsustainable (Zahra, S.; McCarthy, B. 2021). (Tung, T.-Y.; Koenig, H.F.2017) used a self-report scale to assess three aspects of the low effect of sustainable consumption behavior: the quality of life, the preservation of the environment, and the resources for future generations (Agentia de 2021). Customers are keen to adopt sustainability, yet obstacles still exist. It highlights how crucial policy action is to promoting behavior change (Autio, M.; Heininen, V. 2004). In high-income nations, where overconsumption of animal proteins (especially red meat), discretionary foods, and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is common, a decrease in reliance on animal-based foods, particularly ruminant meat, and an increase in reliance on whole plant-based foods will continue to be crucial, even though the composition of such diets will vary depending on the country context. In addition to the aforementioned factors, consumers' sentiments of pride, remorse, respect, and fury also have an impact on their sustainable purchase selections. While consumer guilt has both direct and indirect effects on the desire to buy green items, customer effectiveness as perceived by the consumer is the most potent factor on green purchase intention. It is crucial to look for alternatives and adopt sustainable consumption practices as climate change continues to wreak devastation on ecosystems. In order to maintain a positive reputation in the marketplace, businesses recognized the significance of sustainable development and consumption and incorporated it into their present strategies. Strictly speaking, in order to design appropriate private strategies and governmental policies intended to lessen the detrimental effects on sustainable development, it is required to examine consumer behavior in International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 214 relation to sustainable consumption. Factors Influencing Sustainable Consumer Behavior Several academics have examined sustainable consumption and the consumer's involvement. According to (Resurreccion, 2015), customers may be divided into three groups based on how they perceive sustainable food: (i) Responsible food consumers, who make up the largest group, are mature consumers between the ages of 29 and 35 who pay close attention to what they eat, care about the environment, and prefer local food; (ii) inattentive food consumers are younger students from rural areas who have medium incomes and are uninterested in food or the environment; and (iii) potentially sustainable food consumers are people who find it challenging to find and buy sustainable food despite expressing concerns about environmental issues. Flavor, affordability, health, and environmental sustainability are the most often mentioned factors when choosing food, and people are eager to embrace sustainability for the sake of the environment. Young customers' intentions to purchase green products are known to be mostly influenced by their views and environmental concerns. It has been demonstrated that young Indian customers are conscious of current environmental challenges and have a positive attitude toward buying eco-friendly products for future use (Osikominu, J.; Bocken, 2020). Green consumerism is thought to have a lot of potential among people. In Pakistan, the focus on sustainable consumption resulted in the development of a meat consumption scale. Many studies have been done on this topic (Han, Y.; Hansen, H. 2012), and the term "sustainability" has been found to be a broad phrase that has been categorized on a number of levels, from zero food waste to sustainable food to renewable packaging. The concept of sustainability is complex and requires a flexible, balanced, and context-sensitive approach. Customers see sustainability as an essential component of their lifestyle, especially when it comes to consumption, rather than as a concept confined to the manufacturing stage. (Brumă, I.S.; Ulman, S.-R., 2021). Other researchers have also examined the attitude-behavior gap in relation to many forms of sustainable consumption (food, tourism, energy, etc.). Incentives and single labels are one way to bridge the gap in the consumption sector. (Sesini, G.; Castiglioni, C. 2020) noted that academics closely examined green consumerism from the perspective of the relationship between environmental attitudes and behaviors and classified the factors influencing the environment into four categories (specific attitudes, perceived barriers, knowledge, and personal norms) (Petrescu-Mag, R. 2020). Many respondents stated that they find it difficult to connect their pro-environmental attitudes to their purchases, highlighting the gap that currently exists between serious environmental concerns and positive attitudes toward it and inappropriate behavior when it comes to purchases (Rincón, A.; Barbosa, R.; 2021). Their purchasing habit frequently becomes unsustainable due to a lack of time, product search, or information. Their study of Swiss consumers revealed that while time is a significant obstacle, favorable views toward the environment, local manufacturing, or fair trade are significant predictors of green purchasing. In addition to the fact that many people are concerned about the environment, ethical foods still have a relatively little market share due to people's hectic schedules. Sustainable consumption is defined as "the use of goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials, and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardies the needs of future generations" (Prothero, A.; Dobscha, S. 2011). It is widely acknowledged that a sustainable approach to the private consumption pattern assumed by all individuals is important and desirable, but regrettably, the primary cause of environmental degradation (Juvan, E. International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 215 2014). There is now widespread agreement that consumers should be urged to switch to sustainable food consumption, which is described as "diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and Buyers Protiens and Nutritions security and to healthy life for present and future generations." Sustainable food consumption maximizes natural and human resources while protecting and respecting biodiversity and ecosystems, being culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair, and reasonably priced, and providing consumers with enough nutrition, safety, and health (Young, W.; Hwang, K. 2009). In order to ensure alignment with human and environmental health, enhance democratic accountability, encourage food citizenship, and address current power imbalances, a shift toward more sustainable food consumption will necessitate fundamental changes in the organization, control, and regulation of the food system (Yamoah, F.A.; Acquaye, A. 2019). 3.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Despite the growing interest in eco-friendly and organic food consumption, there exists a significant research gap in understanding buyers’ behaviour towards the purchase of eco-friendly food products in Kolar District. Most existing studies on eco-friendly food consumption are conducted at the national or metropolitan level, with limited focus on district-specific and semi-urban–rural contexts like Kolar. As a result, local socio-cultural, economic, and agricultural factors influencing buyers’ behaviour remain underexplored. There is a lack of empirical research examining awareness levels, perception of eco-friendly labels, and trust in certification systems among consumers in Kolar District. Additionally, insufficient attention has been given to price sensitivity, availability, and accessibility, which are critical factors in influencing purchase decisions in agrarian regions. Another major gap is the limited analysis of demographic and psychological factors, such as education, income, health consciousness, and environmental concern, and how these variables shape purchase intention and actual buying behaviour. Existing studies also tend to focus more on attitudes rather than the gap between intention and actual purchase behaviour. Furthermore, research has largely ignored the influence of local farmers, traditional markets, and farmer–consumer direct marketing channels in promoting eco-friendly food products in Kolar. The impact of government schemes, awareness programs, and digital platforms on consumer behaviour has also not been adequately studied. Hence, there is a clear need for a comprehensive, district-specific study to bridge these gaps and provide actionable insights for policymakers, marketers, and sustainable agriculture stakeholders in Kolar District. 4.OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To examine the impact of buyer’s perspective and their buying behavior towards purchasing Ecofriendly food products. 2. To examine the impact of market conditions and buying behavior of customers towards purchasing Eco-friendly food products. International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 216 5. HYPOTHESES H0: There is no significant impact of buyer’s perspective and their buying behavior towards purchasing Eco-friendly food products. H1: There is a significant impact of buyer’s perspective and their buying behavior towards purchasing Eco-friendly food products. H0: There is no significant impact of market conditions and buying behavior of customers towards purchasing Eco-friendly food products. H2: There is a significant impact of market conditions and buying behavior of customers towards purchasing Eco-friendly food products. 6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY From the consumer perspective, the study examines awareness, attitudes, preferences, and factors such as health consciousness, environmental concern, price sensitivity, and trust influencing buyers’ behaviour towards eco-friendly food products in Kolar District. It also analyzes demographic influences and the gap between purchase intention and actual buying behaviour. From the market perspective, the study focuses on availability, pricing strategies, distribution channels, branding, certification, and promotional practices of eco-friendly food products. It further evaluates challenges faced by marketers and farmers in reaching consumers and identifies opportunities to strengthen the eco-friendly food market in Kolar District. 7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The descriptive analytical research strategy serves as the foundation for the research technique. In order to comprehend the consumption of eco-friendly foods in Kolar District, the study's purpose was methodically handled and examined in depth in the analysis part. The study's goal is to evaluate the literature on introduction and develop a conceptual framework. Eco-friendly food consumption in Kolar District was examined in relation to a number of elements, including home consumer characteristics and marketing factors. 8. POPULATION, SAMPLING METHOD AND SAMPLE SIZE For this reason, cluster sampling was used. The Kolar District was selected as the primary research area. This area was separated into four clusters: north, south, east, and west. The research sample consisted of 892 customers who regularly eat eco-friendly food items. The study includes the respondents who cooperated fully to supply all the information. International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 217 9. DATA COLLECTION Primary Data For the first time, data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire that was created and requested to be completed. Respondents were also interviewed in-person. The "5-point Likert scale" was included in a structured questionnaire. The official language of Karnataka state, Kannada, was used for a semi-structured interview with open-ended conversation. Secondary Data The secondary data was gathered from the following sources: selected peer-reviewed articles from bibliographic databases (Emerald, Sage journals online, Science Direct, Scopus, Taylor & Francis online, Web of Science, and Wiley (online library)). Based on their greatest influence on the field of study and their knowledge validity, peer-reviewed journals were taken into consideration. Internet-Based Resources, Reports, journals, theses, periodicals, research pieces, newspapers, etc. that have been published. 10. DATA ANALYSIS The primary statistical method for determining the significant association between consumer perspective and market conditions with buying behavior of consumers towards eco-friendly food consumption in Kolar District was tested by using multiple regression analysis. Reliability analysis is done to determine the research instrument's stability and consistency. Consistency demonstrates how effectively the model and conceptual framework are measured by the research tool. 11. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 1. All of the data in this study was self-reported and dependent on subjective views, which is a major disadvantage. 2. However, this strategy has drawbacks for consumers of eco-friendly food. The author's challenges in obtaining thorough data on agriculture and food security in cities alone are among the study's weaknesses. 3. The data utilized in this study is rather "outdated," and because of chronological differences, it might not accurately reflect the current situation. 4. The drawback of the spending survey is that if the value of food produced locally is not noted or recalled, it tends to underestimate food expenditures. 5. The study may have made use of sophisticated statistical methods. It's possible that the other relevant research variable was overlooked. 6. This study solely looked at consumer satisfaction with eco-friendly food consumption in the Kolar District. The inability to get a precisely defined measure of the elements influencing sustainable food consumption is a typical shortcoming in the literature on the subject. 7. Because some of the respondents may not be interested in providing accurate information, the information they provided may be prejudiced. International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 218 12. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Table:1 Buyer’s perspective and their buying behavior towards purchasing Ecofriendly food products Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate 1 .975 a .950 .943 .25853 ANOVA b Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression 187.451 19 9.866 147.606 .000 a Residual 287.116 879 .067 Total 596.373 891 b. Dependent Variable: Job Satisfaction Coefficients Mod el Unstandardize d Coefficients Std. Error Standardiz ed Coefficien ts Beta t Sig. 1 (Constant) - 0.584 0.135 - 4.344 0.000 Food consumption frequency 0.102 0.061 0.095 1.673 0.088 Choice of food 0.010 0.036 0.011 0.276 0.874 Life style of the consumer 0.184 0.059 0.147 3.128 0.004 Environmental Concern - 0.142 0.047 - 0.135 - 3.018 0.005 Knowledge of eco - system 0.026 0.036 0.026 0.729 0.472 Consumer Knowledge - 0.094 0.041 - 0.096 - 2.299 0.036 Consumer Lifestyle 0.050 0.032 0.049 1.575 0.120 Buyer Choice 0.007 0.033 0.007 0.204 0.844 Customs traditions and values 0.000 0.037 0.000 0.000 1.000 Buyer’s Mind set 0.017 0.057 0.015 0.299 0.788 Focus on Agri Products 0.072 0.027 0.081 2.644 0.011 Health Issues 0.287 0.048 0.239 5.958 0.000 Quality of food 0.185 0.042 0.214 4.413 0.000 Buyers Diet consciousness - 0.117 0.050 - 0.144 - 2.321 0.029 Buyers Proteins and Nutrition 0.056 0.038 0.069 1.480 0.143 Product acceptance 0.246 0.043 0.346 5.759 0.000 Feeling self - responsibility - 0.016 0.050 - 0.015 - 0.322 0.742 Social Identity 0.167 0.053 0.133 3.172 0.005 Peer Groups 0.104 0.040 0.102 2.618 0.023 a. Dependent Variable: Buying Behavior of Eco - friendly food products A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of 19 variables of consumer factors influencing eco-friendly food consumption by consumers in Kolar District. From the above table it is understood that consumer factors (R = .975a, indicating a high degree of correlation among the variables, t = 23.846, p < .01) had a positively significant effect on sustainable food consumption by customers. Hence, it can be concluded that if the average level of customer factors were high, the average level of sustainable food consumption by consumers would also be high. The analysis also reveals that customer personal factors were able to explain the total variation in sustainable food consumption by customers. The regression model about R² 95% being high indicates the model fits the data well. Thus answering the hypothesis H1: There is a significant impact of buyers’ perspectives and their buying behavior towards purchasing eco-friendly food products. posited for this research is accepted. The coefficient table shows the contribution of International Journal of Research in Management ISSN 2249-5908 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijrm/ijrm_index.htm Volume 15 No. 6, 2025 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17951708 Original Article ©2025 RS Publication, rspublicationh[email protected] 219 each consumer's personal factors. From the above table the beta values demonstrate the unique contribution for the variables such as Food consumption frequency (β= 0.102, p < 0.088), followed by Life style of the consumer (β= 0.184, p < 0.004), Environmental Concern (β= -0.142, p =.005), Consumer Knowledge (β= -0.094, p =.036), Consumer Lifestyle (β= 0.050, p =.120), Focus on Agri Products (β= 0.072, p =.011) and Health Issues (β= 0.287, p =.000), Quality of food (β= 0.185, p =.000), Buyers Diet consciousness(β= -0.117, p =.029), Buyers Proteins and Nutrition (β= 0.056, p =.143), Product acceptance (β= 0.246, p =.000), Social Identity (β= 0.167, p =.005), Peer Groups (β= 0.104, p =.023) in predicting Eco-friendly food consumption by consumers in Kolar District. Table 2: Market conditions and buying behavior of customers towards purchasing Ecofriendly food products. Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate 1 .587 a .344 .635 .80270 ANOVA b Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression 297.166 12 24.764 38.434 .000 a Residual 566.363 879 .644 Total 863.529 891 Coefficients a Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 1.373 .156 8.793 .000 Seller’s selling techniques .153 .040 .181 3.868 .000 Buyers perceived price -.200 .035 -.236 -5.716 .000 Distribution Channels of eco-friendly food products .377 .039 .440 9.641 .000 Ingredients of the food-products .126 .047 .160 2.650 .008 Advertising Message .321 .039 .277 8.280 .000 Policy support for the eco-friendly products -.223 .041 -.250 -5.366 .000 Business ethics in producing products .005 .053 .006 .094 .925 Company’s attitude towards environment .089 .040 .094 2.193 .029 Labeling and packaging of the products - .033 .055 - .039 - .606 .545 Company’s mentality to protect customer health .007 .060 .007 .113 .910 Corporate social responsibility .183 .057 .211 3.192 .001 Intensity of promoting eco-friendly products -.141 .046 -.164 -3.095 .002 a. Dependent Variable: Buying Behavior of Eco - friendly food products A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of 12 variables of consumer factors influencing eco-friendly food consumption by consumers in Kolar District. From the above table it is understood that consumer factors (R = .587a, indicating a moderate degree of correlation among the variables, t = 8.793, p < .000) had a positively significant effect on sustainable food consumption by customers. Hence, it can be concluded that if the average level of marketing factors were high, the average level of sustainable food consumption by consumers would also be high. The analysis also reveals that marketing factors were able to explain the total variation in sustainable food