University of Tehran Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research 2008-4838 56 1 2025 03 21 Investigating Factors Affecting the Intention to Online Purchase of Fresh Agricultural Products Investigating Factors Affecting the Intention to Online Purchase of Fresh Agricultural Products 91 106 101786 10.22059/ijaedr.2025.385877.669333 FA Bahareh Zandi Dareh GHaribi Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran 0000-0002-7380-6641 Alireza Karbasi Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. 0000-0002-9182-8350 Mahshid Rajabzadeh Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran 0009-0000-4206-5345 Journal Article 2024 11 24 The agricultural sector, as one of the most significant economic sectors, plays a crucial role in economic, political, domestic, and international development and stability. It is also a key market for adopting innovative methods in buying and selling its products. Despite the opportunities created by the internet and virtual platforms, many customers still prefer in-person shopping over online purchasing due to insufficient trust. Therefore, the present study Investigating factors affecting the intention to online purchase of fresh agricultural products using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The data for this study were obtained by collecting 130 questionnaires from consumers in Mashhad using snowball sampling method in 2023. The results revealed that variables such as quality, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitude have a significant positive impact on the intention to purchase fresh agricultural products online. Among these, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived quality, with coefficients of 0.41, 0.24, and 0.22, respectively, were identified as the most influential factors. Considering the perishability of fresh agricultural products, utilizing appropriate packaging and ensuring timely delivery can greatly help maintain the product’s perceived quality. Furthermore, given the positive effect of attitude on the intention to purchase fresh agricultural products online, disseminating information about the benefits of online shopping and agricultural products available for trade—allowing consumers to compare different products—can foster positive consumer attitudes. The agricultural sector, as one of the most significant economic sectors, plays a crucial role in economic, political, domestic, and international development and stability. It is also a key market for adopting innovative methods in buying and selling its products. Despite the opportunities created by the internet and virtual platforms, many customers still prefer in-person shopping over online purchasing due to insufficient trust. Therefore, the present study Investigating factors affecting the intention to online purchase of fresh agricultural products using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The data for this study were obtained by collecting 130 questionnaires from consumers in Mashhad using snowball sampling method in 2023. The results revealed that variables such as quality, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitude have a significant positive impact on the intention to purchase fresh agricultural products online. Among these, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived quality, with coefficients of 0.41, 0.24, and 0.22, respectively, were identified as the most influential factors. Considering the perishability of fresh agricultural products, utilizing appropriate packaging and ensuring timely delivery can greatly help maintain the product’s perceived quality. Furthermore, given the positive effect of attitude on the intention to purchase fresh agricultural products online, disseminating information about the benefits of online shopping and agricultural products available for trade—allowing consumers to compare different products—can foster positive consumer attitudes. https://ijaedr.ut.ac.ir/article_101786_fe67d208264a33f504f1fd5c023c5fa9.pdf