MODELING FARMERS’ INTENTIONS TOWARD ORGANIC BEEF PRODUCTION IN KAZAKHSTAN: INSIGHTS FROM THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND PLS-SEM ANALYSIS

Yerassyl Dulatbay, Mira Begeyeva, S. Yessengaliyeva

2026

Full text Open access: Hybrid Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.52578/3134-8572-2026-3-96-106
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

Organic beef production is increasingly recognized as an important pathway toward sustainable agricultural development, environmental protection, and food security. Kazakhstan possesses considerable potential for the expansion of organic livestock farming due to its extensive pasture resources and traditional cattle production systems. However, the adoption of organic farming practices remains limited, and the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to transition toward organic beef production are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the behavioral determinants influencing farmers’ intentions to adopt organic beef production in Kazakhstan using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). A structured questionnaire survey was conducted among 410 beef cattle farmers. The conceptual model included three TPB constructs: behavioral attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM to evaluate the relationships between these latent variables and farmers’ intentions to engage in organic beef production. The results revealed that farmers generally hold positive attitudes toward organic livestock farming and recognize its potential benefits for environmental sustainability, food safety, and market competitiveness. The structural model demonstrated that all TPB constructs significantly influenced farmers’ intentions to adopt organic production. Perceived behavioral control exerted the strongest positive effect (β = 0.499), followed by behavioral attitude (β = 0.278) and subjective norms (β = 0.230) (p < 0.01). The model exhibited high explanatory power (R² = 0.977) and excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.917). The findings indicate that farmers’ confidence in their technical skills, access to resources, certification opportunities, and institutional support plays a more important role in adoption intentions than attitudes or social influences alone. The study highlights the importance of strengthening training programs, extension services, certification support, and financial incentives to facilitate the transition toward organic beef production. These measures could enhance sustainable livestock development, improve food safety, and increase the competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector.