In today’s global food industry, halal has become a symbol of trust, quality, and ethical assurance beyond its religious meaning. Halal certification serves as an indicator of religious commitment and process quality in credence goods, particularly in livestock products, where consumers are unable to ascertain slaughter compliance, contamination management, and cold-chain integrity at the time of purchase(Koç et al., 2024);(Masudin et al., 2020). The global halal food market is expanding, and Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, is enhancing its Halal Product Assurance framework and associated traceability measures(Muchtar et al., 2024);(Vanany et al., 2024). However, the price premiums frequently associated with certified meat raise an important question: under what circumstances are consumers willing to pay a higher price for halal-certified livestock products? Previous research indicates that certification, trust, and religiosity may lead to an increased willingness to pay (WTP) for halal products(Iranmanesh et al., 2019);(Khan et al., 2019).

South Kalimantan provides a relevant context for examining these challenges. According to data from BPS-Statistics of South Kalimantan (2024)(Province, 2024), over 95% of the population identifies as Muslim; however, the halal status of livestock products is increasingly being questioned due to rising concerns regarding supply chain transparency, slaughterhouse sanitation, and the legitimacy of halal certification(Masudin et al., 2020);(Tohe et al., 2021). Research in Indonesian contexts reveals hygiene deficiencies in abattoirs and the necessity for stringent controls to mitigate cross-contamination(Juliani et al., 2021), whereas studies on halal logistics emphasize the significance of supplier service quality, technological preparedness, and cold-chain efficacy for maintaining halal integrity(Talib et al., 2016). Existing evidence on WTP for halal-certified foods in Indonesia has focused mainly on processed foods or urban markets and often treats demand as relatively homogeneous(Alfikri et al., 2019). Much less is known about WTP specifically for halal-certified livestock products in Muslim-majority but resource-constrained regions, where religious norms are strong but purchasing power may be limited.

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) explains intention through attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC). Prior halal studies generally find strong effects of attitude on intention and mixed evidence for norms and control in influencing willingness to pay (WTP) for certification(Harwati et al., 2023);(Iranmanesh et al., 2019);(Khibran, 2019). In Muslim-majority settings, religious commitment (RC) may be pivotal. RC can directly motivate WTP for certified meat and condition how social approval and perceived capability translate into premium payments(Julina et al., 2021).

This study addresses these gaps by applying an extended TPB to examine willingness to pay more for halal-certified meat, poultry, eggs, and milk among Muslim consumers in South Kalimantan. South Kalimantan is a Muslim-majority province (>95% Muslim), making halal assurance and certification credibility highly salient in everyday livestock product purchases. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and religious commitment on willingness to pay for halal-certified livestock products, and verifies whether religious commitment moderates the relationship between subjective norm and willingness to pay and between perceived behavioral control and willingness to pay.

In this study, halal-certified livestock products refer to products sold under official halal certification, including (i) fresh, chilled, and frozen meat and poultry slaughtered in certified slaughterhouses and processed in accordance with halal requirements (including cold chain management), and (ii) processed livestock products, as well as certified eggs and milk, produced by certified processors. The objectives of this study were to analyze the effects of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on consumers’ willingness to pay for halal-certified livestock products, to examine the direct effect of religious commitment on willingness to pay, and to investigate the moderating role of religious commitment in strengthening the relationships between subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and willingness to pay. This study contributed to enhancing halal-certified livestock consumption by providing empirical evidence to support the formulation of halal certification policies and marketing strategies, particularly in Muslim-majority areas outside major Indonesian metropolitan regions.

All indicators showed robust loading on their designated constructs (all outer loading's, λ > 0.82). Composite reliability values were elevated for each construct, and all AVEs surpassed the suggested 0.50 threshold, signifying robust convergent validity and internal consistency (Table 1). At the indicator level, each item set demonstrated robust outer loading's on its respective construct, affirming that the indicators consistently measure their hidden variables.

Discriminant validity was evaluated using HTMT; all ratios fell below the 0.85 threshold (Table 2), hence showing sufficient discriminant validity. The data in Table 2 indicate predominantly favorable assessments: respondents express good attitudes and supporting societal norms about halal eating, along with a robust sense of control and significant religious devotion. WTP is positive but comparatively the lowest among the construct variables (ATT, SN, PBC, RC, WTP).

This study extends the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to halal livestock products and shows that attitude (ATT) is the most influential antecedent of consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for certification, while perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms (SN) make smaller but positive contributions. This pattern is consistent with recent TPB applications to halal food, where positive evaluations of certified options typically dominate intention or WTP, and SN and PBC remain context dependent (Nora & Sriminarti, 2023)(Nora & Sriminarti, 2023). Religious commitment (RC) adds a modest direct effect on WTP and strengthens the TPB system by shaping attitudes and by moderating the SNWTP and PBCWTP paths(Abdou et al., 2024);(Hanafiah & Hamdan, 2020). Overall, price acceptance for certified meat appears to be jointly shaped by evaluation, perceived social approval, perceived efficacy, and faith-related motivation that increases the salience of certification. Although some studies report weak or non-significant SN or PBC effects, the present results align with the broader literature in which ATT is the most stable driver, and RC clarifies when and for whom social and control cues translate into WTP(Khan et al., 2020); (Khibran, 2019).

Two mechanisms are particularly noteworthy. First, the strong RCATT path suggests that commitment influences how consumers appraise the quality, safety, and moral assurance signaled by certification before price-related judgments are formed. In this sense, religious commitment shapes the evaluative lens through which certified livestock products are judged as appropriate, beneficial, and trustworthy(Usman et al., 2021). Second, the positive RC×SN and RC×PBC interactions indicate that social encouragement and verification capability matter most at higher levels of commitment, while their influence is weaker when commitment is lower. This helps to explain why community cues, religious endorsements, and clear verification tools convert more efficiently among highly committed segments, and why religiosity often amplifies the effects of attitudes and social pressures on halal purchase intentions(Ashfahany et al., 2024);(Julina et al., 2021);(Kurniawan, 2024);(Soon & Wallace, 2017).

Descriptive statistics support the structural picture: ATT, SN, PBC, and RC are all above the scale midpoint, whereas WTP is comparatively lower. Substantively, the psychological climate is favourable, since consumers like certified products, perceive social approval, and feel able to choose them, but price sensitivity still constrains decisions at the point of purchase. This gap between intention and price acceptance is common for credence goods and signals the need to reduce translation losses between intention and WTP. Designing the point of sale around verification, for example, clear certification logos and simple QR traceability checks, and pairing this with visible social endorsement can raise perceived control and legitimise small premiums without eroding trust. This is consistent with recent evidence linking labelling and traceability to higher WTP for certified meat(Dewi et al., 2022);(Garg & Joshi, 2018). Finally, the measurement model is sound. At the indicator level, all reflective items loaded strongly on their intended constructs (λ > 0.82), indicating that the observed indicators reliably represent their respective latent variables, and no items were removed (Table 1). Internal consistency was supported by high composite reliability values, and convergent validity was confirmed because all AVE values exceeded 0.50. Discriminant validity was also supported, as HTMT values were below 0.85 (Table 2), which is consistent with recommended PLS-SEM practice in halal consumer research(Awan et al., 2015);(Fauzi, 2022). The structural inferences, therefore, rest on reliable measures rather than artefacts.

This study met its objective by showing that an extended Theory of Planned Behavior, including religious commitment, can explain why consumers in a Muslim-majority region are willing to pay more for halal-certified livestock products. Attitude toward halal-certified livestock products is the strongest predictor of willingness to pay, followed by perceived behavioral control and subjective norms, while religious commitment has a direct positive effect on willingness to pay and strengthens the effects of norms and perceived control. These findings suggest that paying more for certified meat, poultry, eggs, and milk depends not only on price but also on consumers’ confidence in verification and the perceived integrity of slaughter and handling. For the livestock sector, improving halal-compliant slaughter and handling practices, making certification and traceability more visible, and collaborating with religious authorities and retailers can enhance consumer trust and support sustainable price premiums for compliant producers, including smallholders.