A study on the influence of production and environmental information transparency on online consumers’ purchase intention of green agricultural products

Purpose This study examines how production and environmental information transparency affect online consumer trust and their purchase intention for green agricultural products. Design/methodology/approach Using signaling theory, the study combines structural equation modeling (SEM) and necessary conditions analysis (NCA) to examine sufficiency and necessity. SEM analyzes the links between information transparency, online consumer trust and purchase intention, while NCA identifies the necessary conditions for building trust and purchase intentions among online consumers. Findings First, production information transparency improves general trust (GT), while environmental information transparency boosts both GT and swift trust (ST). Second, both GT and ST promote online consumers’ purchase intentions (OCPI). Third, production information transparency is necessary for GT, while environmental information transparency supports both GT and ST. Additionally, GT and ST are necessary conditions for OCPI. These findings indicate that production and environmental information transparency help enhance consumer trust, thereby increasing their purchase intentions. Practical implications The findings offer guidance for businesses in designing trust-building strategies and provide recommendations for policymakers on incentivizing transparency practices among green agricultural product producers. Originality/value This study extends signaling theory to the online consumption of green agricultural products. By combining SEM and NCA, it is the first to reveal the necessity and sufficiency conditions among production and environmental information transparency, trust and purchase intention.