John Sumelius

Determinants of Technical Efficiency of Rice Farms in North-Central and North-Western Regions in Bangladesh

This paper estimates a quadratic stochastic frontier production function to examine the determinants of technical efficiency in rice farming in Bangladesh using the computer program FRONTIER 4.1. Primary data has been collected using multi-stage random sampling technique from twelve villages in north-central and north-western regions in Bangladesh. Rice cultivation displayed much variability in technical efficiency ranging from 0.16 to 0.94 with mean technical efficiency of 0.83 which suggested substantial gains in output with available resources and existing technologies. The analysis of the determinants of technical efficiency revealed that the age and education of the household heads, availability of off-farm incomes, land fragmentation, access to microfinance, extension visits, and regional variation were the major factors that caused efficiency differentials among the farm households studied. Hence, the study proposes strategies such as providing better extension services and farmer training programs, ensuring access to agricultural microfinance, reducing land fragmentation and raising educational level of the farmers to enhance technical efficiency.

From struggle in responsible investment to potential to improve global environmental governance through UN PRI

This article introduces an exploratory framework which, on a conceptual level, suggests that the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment can contribute to the accessibility of responsible investment and encourage institutional investors to undertake it. By co-operating with leaders of global environmental governance and by engaging with investee companies in the field of the environment, responsible investment by institutional investors may help to improve the lack of coherence in global environmental governance.

Review of studies on the establishment and management of policies for multifunctionality

This paper presents a review of the topics in existing research on the establishment and management of public policies for multifunctional purposes. The review is a complete survey of studies carried out in five countries: Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia and UK. The viewpoints adopted in developing countries were also surveyed. The concepts, adaptation and implementation of MFA as well as the research carried out were found to vary considerably in the surveyed countries. Several gaps in research were identified. A summary of national policies as well as of the topics studied is presented. 10 areas in which additional research is required are presented.