Towards sustainable consumption in rural Iran: Insights from an extended Theory of Planned Behavior

Rural communities are often portrayed as stewards of the natural environment, yet their consumption patterns remain a critically understudied driver of ecological deterioration, particularly in the Global South. Using a psychosocial approach, this research examines the determinants of Sustainable Consumption Behavior (SCB) among 350 rural household heads in Western Iran by interrogating the sufficiency of the conventional Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) when Environmental Identity (EI) and Moral Norms (MNs) are included. Structural equation modeling showed that this elaboration substantially improved the model's predictive power (R² = 53%; Δχ² = 335.788; p < 0.01). Crucially, a clear hierarchy of influence emerged from the analysis: PBC was the strongest determinant, with β = 0.410, surpassing Attitude (β = 0.208) and EI (β = 0.202). Even though statistically significant, normative pressures still exert the weakest effects, Subjective Norms (β = 0.116) and MNs (β = 0.100). Findings suggest a distinct behavioral profile in the non-Western rural setting, where sustainable action is not constrained by a lack of identity or a favorable attitude, but rather by real structural obstacles. Consequently, policy needs to move away from persuasive education toward structural empowerment, thereby tapping farmers' latent motivations rooted in their identity only when operational barriers are removed simultaneously.