The Effect of Ecological Intelligence and Ecological Anxiety on Organic Food Consumers' Sustainable Nutrition Behaviors

Introduction:

Environmental problems such as climate change, declining biodiversity and depletion of natural resources pose a major threat to sustainable living and human health. In order to cope with these environmental problems, increasing the environmental awareness of individuals is vital for the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. Concern about environmental problems can contribute to individuals' orientation towards conscious consumption behaviors. In this context, the concept of ecological intelligence refers to individuals' ability to acquire environmental knowledge and transform this knowledge into sustainable behaviors. Ecological intelligence improves individuals' ability to both minimize their environmental impact and make healthy life choices. It is thought that the level of ecological intelligence can contribute to individuals' sustainable and healthy eating behaviors and help them to reduce their environmental impact.

Ecological anxiety is a concept that describes the anxiety individuals feel about climate change and other environmental threats. Ecological anxiety can lead individuals to adopt environmentally friendly consumption decisions, which in turn promotes sustainable food choices such as organic food consumption. Organic food consumers generally tend to make more conscious choices in terms of environmental sustainability and health. These individuals seek to protect both their health and the environment by turning to environmentally friendly production methods and products free from chemical additives.

In this context, organic food consumption is seen in the dietary habits of individuals with high environmental awareness as a reflection of ecological intelligence. Organic agriculture has the potential to limit environmental degradation by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and contributes to sustainable food consumption. It is reported that organic food consumers prefer foods that are free from chemical additives and produced with natural methods in order to ensure environmental sustainability and develop healthy eating habits. In addition, research has also shown that individuals with high levels of ecological anxiety increase their organic food consumption due to their environmental concerns. This reinforces individuals' willingness to make sustainable food choices and the impact of ecological intelligence.

This study aims to examine the relationship between ecological intelligence levels of organic food consumers and their sustainable and healthy eating behaviors. Understanding how the ecological intelligence levels of organic food consumers affect their sustainable eating habits is of great importance in terms of promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles. The findings of the study may contribute to the development of strategies for individuals to develop healthier and sustainable eating habits by improving their environmental awareness. In addition, by filling the gap in the literature on the relationship between organic food consumers' ecological intelligence levels and dietary behaviors, it will contribute to the creation of a solid knowledge base for increasing awareness of sustainable food consumption.