sustainability Article Intake of Animal-Based Foods and Consumer Behaviour towards Organic Food: The Case of Nepal Mausam Budhathoki 1,2, * and Sujita Pandey 3   Citation: Budhathoki, M.; Pandey, S. Intake of Animal-Based Foods and Consumer Behaviour towards Organic Food: The Case of Nepal. Sustainability 2021, 13, 12795. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212795 Academic Editor: Manuela Vega-Zamora Received: 1 October 2021 Accepted: 17 November 2021 Published: 19 November 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). 1 Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK 2 Department of Management, Xavier International College, Kathmandu 44601, Nepal 3 Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; psujita01@gmail.com * Correspondence: mausam.budhathoki@stir.ac.uk Abstract: This study aims to segment Nepalese consumers based on the frequency of animal-based food intake and thereby the determinants of organic food purchasing behaviour to suggest possible marketing strategies for organic food suppliers. A face-to-face survey was conducted among Nepalese consumers (n = 527), underpinned by the theoretical framework, ‘theory of planned behaviour (TPB)’, and extended to include: knowledge, environmental concerns, health-consciousness, and background factors (socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics). Three segments of consumer types were identified by employing k-means segmentation: All Low (n = 113), High Dairy (n = 246), and High Dairy and Meat (n = 168). A covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analysis indicated that perceived behavioural control (β = 0.438, p < 0.001) was the main predictor of organic food purchasing intention, followed by attitude (β = 0.302, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.300, p < 0.001), knowledge (β = 0.211, p < 0.001), and environmental concerns (β = 0.208, p < 0.001). Health-consciousness (β = -0.034, p = 0.374) showed no significant impact on organic food purchasing intention. Organic food purchasing intention had a strong positive impact on organic food purchasing behaviour. Socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics were found to impact behavioural intention indirectly by their effects on attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, knowledge, and environmental concern. Income also had a direct impact on organic food purchasing behaviour. Further, consumers with a low intake of animal-based foods held positive attitudes towards organic food and had higher environmental concerns. The findings can be used to inform organic food producers and targeted marketing campaigns towards promoting organic food purchasing behaviour in Nepal and similar countries. Keywords: organic food consumerism; animal-based foods; theory of planned behaviour; knowledge; environmental concern; health-consciousness; background factors 1. Introduction The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Agenda—2030 implemented six pro- grams to accelerate sustainable consumption and production in every nation, one of which is through food systems [1]. Researchers argue that organic food production may positively impact the overall food system by addressing the fundamental approaches of sustainable food systems through increased efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency [2,3]. Organic food production is one of the several approaches to sustainable food production that is considered ecologically safe, economically viable, and socially acceptable [4]. It is thus widely accepted as a holistic production management system to achieve sustainable food systems [5]. Furthermore, organic foods may serve as the transition to more sustainable food consumption [6,7] and as a fundamental factor of a more sustainable diet [2,8]. In recent years, the concept of sustainable food production and consumption is emerg- ing in Nepal, mostly through the promotion and implementation of organic agriculture. At the governmental level, organic agriculture has drawn attention as a practical way for Sustainability 2021, 13, 12795. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212795 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability