Influencing factors of farmers' land transfer, subjective well-being, and participation in agri-environment schemes in environmentally fragile areas of China

Abstract

One of the purposes of agri-environment schemes (AESs) is to persuade farmers to make good environmental contributions. Understanding the determinants of farmer behavior and the decisions they make regarding AESs is crucial because it helps policymakers create schemes with a broader reach and a higher likelihood of achieving environmental goals. This paper aims to explore the impacts of land transfer, farmers' subjective well-being, and participation in AESs in environmentally fragile areas of China by using data of 6840 sampled farmers obtained from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). A relatively novel approach of ordinary least square (OLS), the ordered probit model approach, and the mediation effect model is used to assess the association between the land transfer mechanism, subjective well-being, and participation in AESs. The model outcomes indicate that land transfer has a considerable influence on AES involvement and that it can boost farmers' subjective well-being. The findings of our study also indicate that the marginal effect of land transfer on the subjective well-being of nonpoor households is greater than that of poor households, and the impact degree of land transfer on the subjective well-being of farmers reveals a weakening trend from east to west regions. Local conditions should be taken as guidance to effectively coordinate the regional resource allocation.

Keywords: Agro-environment; Environmentally fragile region; Land transfer; Livelihood strategy; Subjective well-being.