A Methodological Review of Empirical Studies of Organic Food Consumption

Abstract

This article reviews empirical methods for analyzing organic food consumption. By reviewing 126 studies published in agricultural and environmental economics journals, we identified several empirical methods including conjoint analysis, the contingent valuation method, non-hypothetical experiments, natural field experiments, demand function, purchasing behavior analysis, and hedonic price regressions. We outline how these methods are used in the literature and discuss various methodological issues. The statistical relationship between these methods and academic performance, measured by journal rankings and citations, is also investigated.