Agri-food implications of Fukushima nuclear disaster: 10 years later

Abstract. On March 11, 2011, the strongest ever recorded in Japan earthquake occurred which triggered a powerful tsunami and caused a nuclear accident in Fukushima nuclear plant. The latter was a “manmade” disaster having immense impacts on people’s life, health, and property, infrastructure, supply chains, economy, policies, natural and institutional environment, etc. This paper presents work in progress and assesses preparedness for and agri-food impacts of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, identifies challenges in post-disaster recovery, and withdraws lessons for improving disaster risk management. Japan was not well prepared for such a huge disaster while the agri-food sector and consumption have been among the worst-hit areas. The triple disaster was a rare but high-impact event, therefore, it is necessary to “prepare for the unexpected”. Risk assessment is to include diverse hazards and multiple effects of a likely disaster, it is to be discussed with all stakeholders, and measures taken to educate and train all for complex disasters. It is necessary to modernize property rights, regulations, safety standards, and norms, enhance the capability of responsible public authorities and improve coordination between diverse actors. It is important to set up mechanisms for effective public resource allocation and reduction of agents’ costs. Different elements of the agri-food chain have dissimilar capabilities requiring differential public support. There is a strong “regional” interdependency of agrarian, food, and rural assets (and damages), and it is important to properly locate risk and take prevention and recovery measures. Disaster response demonstrated the important role of small-scale farms and food organizations, and the high efficiency of private, market, and collective governance. Before, during, and after a disaster, all available information from all sources is to be immediately publicized in understandable form through all possible means. Disaster provides an opportunity to discuss, introduce and implement fundamental changes in agricultural, economic, regional, energy, disaster management, etc. policies. It is important to learn from past experiences, prepare for multiple disasters, and make sure that “lessons learned” are not forgotten.Keywords. Agri-food, Fukushima nuclear disaster.JEL. Q10, O31, O33, Q01, Q16, Q18

Development and underdevelopment from the perspective of evolutionary socioeconomics in the post-COVID-19 era

Abstract. In economics, the problematics of development and underdevelopment is a field of conceptual controversies and constant “re-comprehension,” already since classical economists’ fundamental explorations. Nowadays, especially within the particularly pressing conditions caused by the global pandemic of COVID-19, it seems that this field of research and scientific knowledge must be profoundly re-fertilized in analytical and explanatory terms. The current crisis seems to function as a catalyst for various structural changes globally, leading to a necessary reorientation of the related thematics towards exploring the inner evolutionary “mechanisms” that will drive socio-economic development (and underdevelopment) in the future. This article aims to study the conceptual evolution of the notions of development and underdevelopment in the light of modern evolutionary economics, which we think could offer a foundational repositioning at the interpretative level in response to the new emerging conditions. More specifically, this article tries to respond to what development and underdevelopment mean over time, where analytical readjustments the evolutionary economics lead to nowadays, and whether it is possible to counter-propose a multilevel approach that enriches the theoretical background for an interdisciplinary and unifying understanding of the specific problematics at the dawn of the new global reality that appears in the post-COVID-19 era. At first, we look at essential development and underdevelopment concepts by critically exploring corresponding basic definitions throughout time. Next, we study the essential and associated elements of evolutionary economics, in the light of the problematics of development and underdevelopment of our days, intending to reach a synthesizing theoretical perspective. We counter-propose the multilevel “development web” approach and analysis as a useful repositioned perspective on addressing the developmental/underdevelopmental problem since the compartmentalization of social sciences between the “micro, meso and macro” approaches seems progressively inadequate and sterile.Keywords. Development, Underdevelopment, Evolutionary economics, Development web, Micro-meso-macro, Evolutionary microeconomics, Evolutionary mesoeconomics, Evolutionary macroeconomics.JEL. O40, B52

How to measure the governance pillar of agrarian sustainability

Abstract. A need to include “the fourth” Governance pillar in the concept for understanding and the assessment system of (overall and) agrarian sustainability is increasingly justified in academic literature and finds place in the frameworks of government, international, private, etc. organizations Nevertheless, still there is no general consensus on: whether and how to include the governance as a new pillar of agrarian sustainability; how to define the governance sustainability; what are the relations between the governance sustainability of a farming enterprise and agriculture; what are the critical factors of governance sustainability; how to formulate, select, measure and integrate diverse sustainability indicators; and how to properly evaluate the level of governance sustainability, etc. In Bulgaria, like in many other countries, practically there are no comprehensive assessments of the governance sustainability of agriculture and its importance for the overall agrarian development. This study tries to fill the gap and suggests a holistic framework for understanding and assessing the governance sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture. The newly elaborated approach is “tested” in a large-scale study for assessing the governance sustainability of country’s agriculture at national, sectoral, regional, eco-system and farm levels.The study has proved that it is important to include the “missing” Governance Pillar in the assessment of the Integral sustainability of agriculture and sustainability of agro-systems of various type. Multiple Principles, Criteria and Indicators assessment of the Governance sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture indicates that the Overall Governance Sustainability is at a “Good” but very close to the “Satisfactory” level. Besides, there is a considerable differentiation in the level of Integral Governance sustainability of different agro-systems in the country. Last but not least important, results on the integral agrarian sustainability assessment based on micro (farm) and macro (statistical, etc.) data show some discrepancies which have to be taken into consideration in the analysis and interpretation, while assessment indicators, methods and data sources further improved. Having in mind the importance of holistic assessments of this kind for improving the agrarian sustainability in general, and the Governance sustainability of agriculture in particular, they are to be expended and their precision and representation increased. The later requires improvement of the precision through enlargement of surveyed farms and stakeholders, and incorporating more “objective” data from surveys, statistics, expertise of professionals in the area, etc. Since the elaboration of an effective framework for Governance sustainability assessment is far from complete our and other emerging suggestions have to be further discussed, experimented, improved and adapted to the specific conditions of evaluating agricultural system and needs of decision-makers at different levels.Keywords. Governance sustainability, Assessment, Agriculture, Agricultural systems, Bulgaria.JEL. Q12, Q13, Q15, Q18.

Factors influencing access to basic handwashing facilities in developing countries

Abstract. Access to handwashing facilities including soap and water is considered a basic minimum personal hygiene requirement to reduce spreading of infectious diseases like Novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19).Outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent spread of the virus across the world is a serious public health concern of the time. As on 10 April 2020 there are 1,521,252 confirmed cases of infected people of which 92,798 people have died across the world due to Covid-19.It has been suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) that social distancing and frequent sanitization of hands either by washing with soap and water or by using alcohol based hand sanitizer may reduce possibility of infection. However, access to basic handwashing facilities is not universal in developing countries. Even within a country the access varies across households. There are various factors which influence access to basic handwashing facilities. Therefore, the objective of the present paper is to understand country-specific factors influencing access to basic handwashing facilities in developing countries. The study is based on a sample of 94 countries for 10 years (2008 to 2017). The study throws some interesting results which may be useful to make policies and programmes to increase the coverage of hand washing facilities.Keywords. Covid-19 pandemic, Access to handwashing, Public health, Developing countries, Human development, Access to water.JEL. O17, O31, O33, O35, O43

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Front Matter

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St. Thomas Aquinas and the development of natural law in economic thought

Abstract. Building on the system of reason provided for by the Greek philosopher and specifically Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas built a comprehensive system and theory of natural law which has lasted through the ages. The theory was further developed in the Middle Ages and in the Enlightenment Ages by many a prominent philosopher and economist and has been recognized in the Modern Age. The natural law-theory and system has been repeatedly applied to the spheres of economic thought and has produced many lasting contributions such as private property rights and individual rights. In recent times with the collapses of the financial system and rapid globalization, there has been a renewed interest in the application of natural law theory to economics to counter a certain anthropology and distortion of values created by a modern economic system of self-preservation deriving its insights from the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and Niccolo Machiavelli.Keywords. St. Thomas Aquinas, Natural Law and Economics, Scholasticism, Morality and Markets.JEL. B00, B10, K00

How does science advance? Theories of the evolution of science

Abstract. This study presents different theories of the evolution of science to explain how science and its scientific fields evolve over the course of time. In particular, this study clarifies, as far as possible, models and properties of the scientific development to understand structure, dynamics and drivers of the scientific and technological evolution in society.Keywords. Scientific development, Evolution of science, Scientific research, Structure of science, Research fields, Economics of science, Political economy of science, Technological change, Research labs.JEL. A19, C00, I23, L30

King, Fuller and Dworkin on natural law and hard cases

Abstract. The debate between natural law and positivist law has been received much attention. Ronald Dworkin exposes the limitation of positivist law through the argument of hard cases. This argument is furthered strengthened when we apply the interpretation of Martin Luther King Jr and the voluntarist natural law tradition, and Lon Fuller’s ‘procedural view’ and the application of the ‘principles of legality’.Keywords. Natural Law, Positivist Law, Hard Cases, Ronald Dworkin, Lon Fuller, Martin Luther King Jr.JEL. B40, K1, K4, K40, L6, M10, P00, P16, Z12, Z18

How does institutional change of democratization affect the origin and diffusion of technological innovation across countries?

Abstract. The main aim of this study is to explain how institutional change, based on processes of democratization, governs the origin and diffusion of technological innovation across economies. This study suggests that institutional change, based on a progressive democratization of countries, is a driving force of inventions and adoption of usable innovations in society. Policy makers, considering the positive associations between institutional change, based on a process of democratization, and paths of technological innovation, can propose best practices directed to support a higher economic freedom in society, effective regulation, higher economic and political stability, good economic governance and higher level of education system. Overall, then, institutional change, based on democratization, is a precondition for sustaining fruitful paths of technological innovation to govern the development of economies in the presence of globalization and geographical expansion in world economic system.Keywords. Institutional change, Technological innovation, Patents, Technological change, Economic change, Social change, Regulatory quality, Rule of law, Political stability, Innovative outputs, Democracy, Democratization, Economic growth, Economic performances, Rich countries, Emerging economies.JEL. B52, F55, O17, O31, O33, O35, O43, P10, P14, P48