Special issue editorial: In memory of Professor Gudbrand Lien (1966–2024)

Abstract This special issue of the European Review of Agricultural Economics honors the life and scholarship of Professor Gudbrand Lien (1966–2024), whose pioneering work bridged methodological rigor and practical relevance in agricultural and business economics. The collected papers reflect his enduring influence across productivity measurement, efficiency analysis and risk and sustainability research. Contributions span methodological innovations in stochastic frontier modeling, analyses of spatial and technological heterogeneity, entrepreneurship and diversification and environmental efficiency under climate change. Together, they illustrate Lien’s intellectual legacy—integrating theory, empirics and policy to advance a pluralistic, context-sensitive understanding of agricultural productivity and sustainable rural development.