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Growth in organic food sales is mainly due to consumers becoming more aware of health issues and environmental concerns. Understanding the drivers of organic consumption is crucial to predict future market outcomes. In this analysis, we expand previous research by including general and institutional trust variables in addition to consumer attitudes to examine organic food purchases. Food production is unobservable and hence, consumers need to exhibit trust with respect to organic production and certification. A bivariate ordered probit model applied to U.S. survey data confirms that organic purchases are determined by health, nutrition, and taste. In some cases, general trust and trust in media are statistically significant. Trust in institutions that are involved in the organic certification process is not statistically significant. A hierarchical cluster analysis grouping consumers based on trust and attitudes shows that (dis)trust in the organic certification and supply chain does not hinder organic food market growth.

In this paper we investigate the choices citizens make when asked to express willingness to support a proposed energy policy and are then compelled to allocate the program funds to either renewable energy or energy efficiency. In a survey study based on a random sample of residents of the state of Maine, USA, we find that citizens have preferences for specific types of renewable energy but these preferences do not yield significantly different allocation of investment funds between renewable energy and energy efficiency. We find that preferences are generally consistent regardless of presentation of options (i.e. limited ordering effects). Our results also indicate that personal characteristics that are understudied in the energy literature, including promotion/prevention focus and social/fiscal leanings, influence both willingness to support energy policies and also their allocation of fund choices, but in different ways. This suggests the importance of including multiple options in energy policy proposals, and that targeted messages regarding the components of such policies is key for optimal communication.

We present a dynamic game of search and learning by fishermen who seek the true location of a partially observable fish stock. Bayesian Nash equilibrium search patterns for non-cooperating fishermen and members of an information sharing cooperative are compared with first-best outcomes. Independent fishermen do not internalize the full value of information and do not replicate first-best search. A fishing cooperative faces a free-riding problem as each member prefers another undertake costly search for information. Contractual agreements among coop members may mitigate, but not likely eliminate free-riding. Our results explain why information sharing is rare in fisheries and offer guidance for improving fishery management.