Explaining Willingness to Pay for Andean Grains Through Health Consciousness.

This study examines the relationship between health consciousness, the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and self-identity, as well as consumers' willingness to pay more for Andean grains, which are recognised for their nutritional benefits and contribution to sustainable food systems. The study was conducted with 600 young university students living in Lima, Peru. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), the findings revealed a positive association between health consciousness and attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and self-identity related to healthy food consumption. Of the TPB components, self-identity was found to be the strongest predictor of willingness to pay more for Andean grains, followed by perceived behavioural control; attitude and subjective norms, however, showed no significant effect. These results suggest that the willingness to pay for sustainable heritage foods is driven more by identity-based motivations and perceived access conditions than by favourable evaluations or social pressure alone. The study extends the TPB by incorporating health consciousness as an antecedent variable and by highlighting the prominent role of self-identity in sustainable food choices within the context of an emerging economy. Furthermore, the findings provide practical insights for designing marketing strategies and public policies aimed at promoting healthy and sustainable food consumption.