The transformation of the agricultural sector towards sustainable development requires effective financial mechanisms to implement environmentally oriented technologies and management practices. The study aimed to analyse the efficiency and specific features of applying modern financial instruments to promote resource-saving practices in the agricultural sector and to develop recommendations for their optimal use. The methodology combined quantitative and qualitative analytical methods, using systemic, comparative, and statistical analysis of 4 efficiency indicators for financial instruments across 10 countries worldwide for the period 2020-2024. An Efficiency Composite Index (ECI) was developed based on five key components of resource efficiency using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The study revealed that green loans (34.2% of total funding) and government subsidies (28.7%) were the dominant sources among eight types of financial instruments. Green loans demonstrated the highest efficiency in increasing resource efficiency (82.7 points) and the strongest correlation with reduced water consumption (r = 0.89), as shown by the example of the Danish company Arla Foods, which, after securing a €750 million green loan, reduced its water consumption by 23% and energy by 18%.Government subsidies proved most effective in improving environmental performance (79.8 points), as confirmed by the experience of the German organic farming support programme. Cluster analysis identified three groups of countries: “Innovation Leaders” with an average ECI of 86.7 points (Denmark, the Netherlands), “Stable Performers” with an ECI of 76.4 points (Germany, France, the USA, Canada), and “Developing Countries” with an ECI of 62.8 points (China, India, Ukraine, Poland). A significant synergistic effect was identified from the combined use of government subsidies and private investment (synergy coefficient of 1.34) and the universality of microfinance with the lowest variability between countries (12.7 points difference). Multiple regression analysis confirmed a statistically significant model (R2 = 0.78), where the greatest impact on efficiency is exerted by the volume of green financing (β = 0.34) and the share of subsidies in Gross Domestic Product (β = 0.28). The practical significance of the study lies in the potential to apply the developed index to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of national financial support programmes for resource efficiency
Nehoda et al. (Mon,) studied this question.