This dissertation consists of three papers on integrating social, economic, and political influences on food choice behavior and environmental outcomes and assessing agricultural policy. The first paper analyzes the effects of religious beliefs and homogeneity on meat consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions using a unique dataset on religion prevalence. The empirical evidence suggests that the religious effect on the individuals' dietary choice considerably varies from religion to religion, and in a more heterogeneous society, individuals are less willing to follow religious dietary laws. The second paper measures the effect of the planner's academic background on a pollution indicator using panel data on university majors of heads of state in autocratic countries. The results show that an academic major of heads of state leads to a significant change in sulfur dioxide emissions in the autocratic sample, but the individual characteristics does not make any influence in the democratic country sample. The third paper assesses the economic impact of apple maggot infestation in Washington State by the pest quarantine status and by the existence of phytosanitary trade regulations under an apple maggot quarantine program and provides the Washington State government agency with policy implications for deciding the stringency of pest management programs.