Developing a performance measurement framework to enhance the impact orientation of the Food Research Institute, Ghana

Research institutions in Ghana are facing various challenges. It is the contention that viable research and development institutions are needed for achieving sustainable change in areas of national importance. A key aspect of institutional viability is strong performance management. This implies clear and workable approaches to performance measurement. This paper looks at the initial experiences in a collaborative effort to develop a performance measurement framework for the Food Research Institute (FRI) and the application of the Balanced Score Card (BSC) at institutional level. The process of diagnosing and analysing institutional monitoring and evaluation capacity and systems is described using a mix of diagnostic tools. Stages in applying the BSC approach are documented and the added value of the scorecard perspectives in highlighting focal areas for performance measurement and management within FRI. These are placed in the context of ongoing changes in the external environment posing both threats and opportunities. Changes implied by the introduction of the concept are discussed in the context of current constraints and the way forward is mapped out in terms of enhancing FRIs' impact orientation through the application of improved performance measurement and management.     

中国FDI的国际竞争力与环境保护责任

在世界经济一体化进程中和我国实施“走出去”的战略中,中国对外直接投资（FDI）在全球中的地位逐步提高,促进了世界经济发展。同时中国也重视国际环境合作和制度建设,鼓励境外投资企业严格履行环境保护与社会责任,以推动可持续发展和和谐世界的构建。     

From circular business models to circular business ecosystems

The circular economy aims to minimize resource inputs and waste and emission outputs of the economy and its organizational subsystems. This can benefit both financial and sustainability performance of companies. To analyze industrial implementation of the concept, the prevalent unit of analysis on the firm level is currently the circular business model. Our investigation of nine Swedish biogas companies and one branch organization indicates a range of conceptual shortcomings that challenges this approach. Our comparative case analysis points towards circular ecosystems being a more appropriate concept to describe the high level of coordination between different stakeholders necessary to implement circular systems. This increases the suitability to analyze, plan, and communicate circular economy systems on an organizational level, especially if value chain integration is low. An ecosystem perspective can thus support innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of the circular economy.     

Optimum reserve size,fishing induced change in carrying capacity,and phenotypic diversity

Fish stocks around the world are heavily overexploited in spite of fishing policies in several parts of the world designed to limit overfishing. Recent studies have found that the complexity of ecological systems and the diversity of species, as well as negative impact of fishing activities on environmental carrying capacity of fish stocks—all contribute to the problem. A number of biologists, managers, and practitioners strongly support the use of marine reserves as a management strategy for marine conservation. This paper contributes to this line of research by seeking an optimum reserve size and fishing effort for situations where species diversity decrease at fishing grounds and fishing activities impact carrying capacity. We found that a reserve size which maximizes economic rents could ruin a fish stock if fishing impacts are not accounted for. On the other hand, the reserve serves as a bifurcation term which could improve the resilience of a marine ecosystem.     

Economics of biodiversity and sustainable fisheries management

Marine ecosystems are complex, and many marine species are ecologically interdependent. As a result, losing a species could produce a cascading effect on other species. Fishery scientists advocate an ecosystem-based approach to fishery management to meet long-term sustainable goals. This paper models the complex interrelationships among species and the relationship between biomass growth and phenotypic diversity. We found that the equilibrium stock and catch/yield levels are overestimated when the diversity is not accounted for. Consequently, if species are diverse, fishery policy based on a single fishery management could overestimate catch potentials and potentially results in biological overfishing and stock collapse.     

我国对外直接投资中的绿色信贷取向

我国走出去战略实施近十年来,对外直接投资项目不断增加,投资规模和领域不断扩大。如何规避对外投资中由于环境和社会责任履行中带来的较大的信贷风险,是我国对外直接外投资风险控制中亟待研究的问题之一。实践证明,金融部门应从解决思想认识着手,提高对实行绿色信贷的认识水平,正确处理好经济效益与环境、生态、社会效益之间的关系,把环境保护这项基本国策贯彻到具体的对外投资的信贷业务中去,从而促进我国对外投资的可持续性,实现环境与经济的协调、持续和稳定发展。     

Impact of adoption in Ghana of an improved fish processing technology on household income,health and nutrition

Surveys were conducted in three fishing communities in Ghana, where an improved fish smoking technology (the Chorkor smoker) had been introduced previously, to assess the impact of adopting the improved technology on household income, health and nutritional status. Fifty‐one fish processors (all women), who had adopted the improved fish processing technology, were selected for the study, in which the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique, nutritional survey methods and structured questionnaires were used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data. The results revealed that there was an improvement in economic activities. This resulted in a positive impact on household income and food consumption patterns of the processors. Improvement in household income resulted from increases in the quality and quantity of output, price per unit output and profits. Improvement in food consumption pattern was mostly in respect of quality and quantity of food intake, but the types of food consumed remained the same. The nutrient intake of the respondents was good on average, with a majority exceeding the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein, vitamin B1 and calcium. The average body mass index (BMI) of the processors was also within the ideal range of 20–25. Adoption of the new technology also improved the health status of the respondents. Lessening of eye problems and headaches as a result of reduced exposure to smoke and heat was reported by 52% of the women. However, preschool children were undernourished as a result of poor child feeding practices. In any technology transfer process, apparently unrelated nutritional factors need to be considered.     

生物多样性和可持续渔业管理经济

海洋生态系统是非常复杂的,而且海洋生物种类之间也是相互依存的。相应的如果一个物种消失就会对其它物种产生一种级联效应。鱼类科学家倡导一种基于生态系统的手段来进行渔业管理,以满足长期可持续发展的目标。本论文对种类之间相互依存的复杂关系和生物总量与生物表现型多样化之间的关系进行模拟建模。结果表明,如果不考虑生物多样性,平衡的储备量和捕捞或生产量水平就会被高估。相应的如果鱼类种类是不同的,建立在单一渔业资源管理上的渔业政策往往会过高的估计捕获潜能,结果导致过度捕捞和鱼类资源储量的崩溃。     

Species diversity, fishing induced change in carrying capacity and sustainable fisheries management

It is well established in the fisheries management literature that marine ecosystems are complex and marine species depend on one another. As a result, it is important to account for species diversity to ensure sustainable management. In addition, recent research published in the marine sciences literature has provided unequivocal evidence that fishing activities destroy habitats and inhibit production of planktons. This paper illustrates that if a conventional bioeconomic model is employed, an optimum effort policy as opposed to quota appears to result in sustainable management even if fishing impacts carrying capacity. However, the so-called optimum effort may collapse the stock if species diversity is not accounted for. Conversely, if species diversity and the impact of fishing on carrying capacity are considered, neither the equilibrium quota nor effort may guarantee sustainable yield.     

Currency Internationalization and the International Price System

Although China, now the world’s second largest economy and largest goods trading nation, has rolled out the ambitious currency internationalization protocol while maintaining strict capital controls for nearly a decade, the implications of this unique reform path on the international economy still present uncertainties. In this paper, we fill in this gap by developing a two country, two-goods model to investigate the impacts of currency internationalization on the international price system, which consists of goods market and factor market interactions. We propose a critical condition of sustainable currency internationalization and reveal high international price sensitivity to exchange rate adjustments.