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Global demand for organic food continues to expand, reflecting the growing importance of sustainable consumption worldwide. To support sustainable consumption, it is essential to understand the motives behind consumer choices of organic food. Despite recognising the environmental benefits of organic farming, health benefits remain the dominant driver of consumer demand for organic food. However, scientific evidence confirming better health outcomes from organic food than that from conventional alternatives remains inconclusive. Nevertheless, its environmental value is robustly substantiated. This study empirically tests which motives prevail in consumer perceptions of organic food and examines the influence of information sources and their content on the perception of core value and willingness to purchase organic food for environmental reasons. We conducted an online survey of 1,019 respondents who were divided into a control group and two experimental groups. The results reveal that consumers mostly perceive organic food as healthy but recognise the combination of health and environmental values. The positioning of organic food brands is mainly focused on health benefits, and controlled sources of information partly contribute to the formation of a one-dimensional perception emphasising health. Providing additional information about environmental benefits increases consumers' willingness to make environment-motivated purchases. Environmental orientation and adherence to a healthy lifestyle are the significant predictors of such willingness. This study highlights the importance of message framing in shaping perceptions regarding the benefits of organic food and encourages a rethinking of brand positioning strategies in favour of scientifically proven environmental benefits. It empirically supports a reorientation of brand communication towards underscoring the environmental value of organic food, increasing consumer trust and strengthening sustainable consumption patterns.