Trust, risk and organic food: Evidence from the UK and Japan

Why do some consumers choose pricier organic options while others pass them by? Drawing on large, harmonised survey samples from the United Kingdom (n = 1,276) and Japan (n = 1,532), we examine whether three psychological factors (generalised social trust, trust in government and individual risk appetite) are associated with willingness to pay more for organic dairy, meat, eggs and vegetables. Logistic regression models show that trust in government is the most consistent correlate of willingness to pay more for organic food, with a stronger association in Japan than in the UK. Generalised social trust is more closely linked to perceptions that organic production aligns with personal values, while individuals with higher risk appetite are consistently more open to paying a premium, regardless of country or food type. Taken together, trust and risk orientations explain meaningful variation in organic preferences after controlling for age, education, gender and ideology. These findings suggest that efforts to expand organic food markets may benefit from pairing credible certification systems with communication strategies that reduce perceived risk, particularly in institutional contexts characterised by high levels of public trust.