The Effect of Farmland Transfer on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from Rural China

Guoqun Ma; Xiaopeng Dai; Yuxi Luo

doi:10.3390/ijerph20032130

The Effect of Farmland Transfer on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from Rural China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 24;20(3):2130. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032130.

Authors

Guoqun Ma^{1

2}, Xiaopeng Dai¹, Yuxi Luo^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Economics and Management, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China.
² Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt Development Institute, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China.

Abstract

Exploring the effect and mechanism of farmland transfer on agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) in China is of great significance for exerting the effectiveness of China's farmland transfer policy and promoting green agricultural development. Based on panel data from 30 provinces from 2005 to 2020, this paper applies a two-way fixed effects model to analyze the impact of farmland transfer on AGTFP, and the mechanism of farmland transfer on AGTFP is also investigated. We find that farmland transfer has a significant and sound promoting effect on AGTFP, with respect to multiple robustness checks; there is heterogeneity regarding the impact of farmland transfer on AGTFP in terms of food functions, and farmland transfer can promote regional AGTFP through nonagricultural labor transfer and agricultural technology utilization. When considering the fact that farmland transfer has increased China's AGTFP, the Chinese government should continue to adhere to the farmland transfer policy, accelerate nonagricultural labor transfer, improve the level of agricultural technology utilization, and ultimately promote green agricultural development.

Keywords: agricultural green total factor productivity; agricultural technology utilization; farmland transfer; nonagricultural labor transfer.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Agriculture*
China
Farms
Humans
Rural Population
Technology*

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China key project (grant No. 21AJY013), the International Cooperation and Exchange of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 71961147002), Guangxi Philosophy and Social Science Project (grant No. 22FJY021), Guangxi Normal University National College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project (grant No. 202210602006).