"Organic Food Purchases Are Decided by Trust, Not Taste"—A Japan-UK Joint Study Proves It with a 2,800-Person Survey; Institutional Trust in Organic JAS Certification Is the Key to Spreading Organic Farming in Japan

In April 2026, a joint research team from Brunel University London and Kobe University announced the results of a large-scale consumer survey covering about 1,300 people in the UK and about 1,500 in Japan. The conclusion is clear—what most strongly drives the purchase of organic food is not "taste" but "trust in the system (government certification)."

Study overview and key findings

This study, by Dr. Steven David Pickering and Professor Martin Ejnar Hansen of Brunel University and Associate Professor Yosuke Sunahara of Kobe University, was conducted with joint funding from the ESRC of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

The survey measured "willingness to pay a premium (WTP) for the organic version" across four categories—dairy, meat, eggs, and vegetables—and analyzed correlations with trust in government, interpersonal trust, and risk tolerance. As a result, even after controlling for demographic factors (age, income, education), it was confirmed across all categories that the more consumers trust the government, the significantly higher their willingness to pay extra for organic food.

The importance of the "certification system" as seen in the Japan-UK comparison

What is interesting is the difference between Japan and the UK:

Japan: A unified, government-led Organic JAS certification system exists, and institutional trust in the government is strongly linked to purchasing behavior.

UK: Private certifications such as the Soil Association and Organic Farmers & Growers are dispersed, and in addition to institutional trust, "interpersonal trust (shared values)" also influences purchasing.

The research team points out that "consumers cannot verify the quality of organic food themselves after purchase—this is a 'credence good.'" In other words, without trust in the certification mark, there is a structural problem in which no matter how much "organic" is touted at the storefront, it does not lead to purchase.

Implications for spreading organic agriculture in Japan

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has set targets for 2030 of 328 billion yen in domestic demand for organic food, 63,000 hectares of organic farming area, and a 25% rate of consumers using organic food at least once a week. Over the past decade, Japan's organic agriculture market has grown 42% and the Organic JAS certified area has reached 23,000 hectares, up 40%, but there is still a large gap to the targets.

These study results send the message that, as an approach to closing this gap, "not only improving marketing and labeling but raising the transparency of the certification system itself is indispensable."

Practical hints for producers and processors involved in organic agriculture

• Prioritize obtaining and maintaining Organic JAS certification: As this study shows, self-proclaimed "organic" without certification cannot win consumer trust.
• Visualizing the certification process: Communicating the process of obtaining certification and the inspection process conveys "transparency" to consumers.
• Justifying the price premium: Rather than "organic = expensive," the communication of "certified quality = fair price" is effective.

The rice-husk food-use project "Kami"andRecovering recycled phosphorus from sewage sludgeAs sustainable-agriculture initiatives like these accelerate, this study shows that building "institutional trust" is the greatest lever for spreading organic agriculture.