Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization
IntroductionThe rapid advancement of digital technology has catalyzed the emergence of “digital villages,” presenting both new opportunities and challenges for the digital transformation of agriculture. This transformation has become a core driving force behind sustainable agricultural development....
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1455732/full |
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| author | Fanjun Zeng Fanjun Zeng Yingying Zhou Yingying Zhou Bin Wei Bin Wei |
| author_facet | Fanjun Zeng Fanjun Zeng Yingying Zhou Yingying Zhou Bin Wei Bin Wei |
| author_sort | Fanjun Zeng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe rapid advancement of digital technology has catalyzed the emergence of “digital villages,” presenting both new opportunities and challenges for the digital transformation of agriculture. This transformation has become a core driving force behind sustainable agricultural development. This paper utilizes panel data from 30 provincial-level administrative regions of mainland China (excluding Tibet) for the period 2011 to 2020 to explore how digital rural development (DRD) impacts agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) and examines its underlying mechanisms.MethodsRegarding variable measurement, the study employs the entropy weighting method to quantify the DRD and uses an extended Data Envelopment Analysis-Malmquist model to assess AGTFP. For the research approach, the study constructs a two-way fixed effects model to evaluate the impact of DRD on AGTFP and explores the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, the study conducts benchmark regression analysis, endogeneity tests, robustness tests, mechanism examinations, and heterogeneity tests.Results(1) DRD significantly enhances AGTFP, a conclusion that remains robust following the province-year clustering robust standard error estimates, winsorization tests, and excluding COVID-19-affected years. (2) Mechanistic analysis indicates that DRD primarily boosts AGTFP by promoting the development of digital inclusive finance (DIF) and facilitating the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries (IPST). (3) Heterogeneity tests show that the positive impact of DRD on AGTFP is more pronounced in regions with higher levels of informatization and central regions of China.DiscussionTo harness DRD’s potential more effectively in fostering sustainable agricultural development, policymakers should concentrate on DIF and the IPST. Additionally, the government should pay close attention to disparities in informatization levels and resource allocation across regions and develop targeted strategies accordingly. Fundamentally, this study aims to elucidate China’s efficacy in rural digitalization and the green transformation of agriculture to an international audience. It seeks to provide insights and guidance on formulating more scientific, efficient, and sustainable strategies for agricultural development worldwide, thereby promoting green agricultural growth and supporting rural revitalization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-267e886413fc4727a93ffdeddcbbd72d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-267e886413fc4727a93ffdeddcbbd72d2025-08-20T02:18:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2024-12-01810.3389/fsufs.2024.14557321455732Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalizationFanjun Zeng0Fanjun Zeng1Yingying Zhou2Yingying Zhou3Bin Wei4Bin Wei5School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning, ChinaChina-ASEAN Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Development, Guangxi University, Nanning, ChinaSchool of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning, ChinaChina-ASEAN Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Development, Guangxi University, Nanning, ChinaSchool of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning, ChinaChina-ASEAN Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Development, Guangxi University, Nanning, ChinaIntroductionThe rapid advancement of digital technology has catalyzed the emergence of “digital villages,” presenting both new opportunities and challenges for the digital transformation of agriculture. This transformation has become a core driving force behind sustainable agricultural development. This paper utilizes panel data from 30 provincial-level administrative regions of mainland China (excluding Tibet) for the period 2011 to 2020 to explore how digital rural development (DRD) impacts agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) and examines its underlying mechanisms.MethodsRegarding variable measurement, the study employs the entropy weighting method to quantify the DRD and uses an extended Data Envelopment Analysis-Malmquist model to assess AGTFP. For the research approach, the study constructs a two-way fixed effects model to evaluate the impact of DRD on AGTFP and explores the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, the study conducts benchmark regression analysis, endogeneity tests, robustness tests, mechanism examinations, and heterogeneity tests.Results(1) DRD significantly enhances AGTFP, a conclusion that remains robust following the province-year clustering robust standard error estimates, winsorization tests, and excluding COVID-19-affected years. (2) Mechanistic analysis indicates that DRD primarily boosts AGTFP by promoting the development of digital inclusive finance (DIF) and facilitating the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries (IPST). (3) Heterogeneity tests show that the positive impact of DRD on AGTFP is more pronounced in regions with higher levels of informatization and central regions of China.DiscussionTo harness DRD’s potential more effectively in fostering sustainable agricultural development, policymakers should concentrate on DIF and the IPST. Additionally, the government should pay close attention to disparities in informatization levels and resource allocation across regions and develop targeted strategies accordingly. Fundamentally, this study aims to elucidate China’s efficacy in rural digitalization and the green transformation of agriculture to an international audience. It seeks to provide insights and guidance on formulating more scientific, efficient, and sustainable strategies for agricultural development worldwide, thereby promoting green agricultural growth and supporting rural revitalization.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1455732/fulldigital rural developmentagricultural green total factor productivitysustainable developmentfixed effects analysisgreen transformation of agriculturehigh-quality development |
| spellingShingle | Fanjun Zeng Fanjun Zeng Yingying Zhou Yingying Zhou Bin Wei Bin Wei Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems digital rural development agricultural green total factor productivity sustainable development fixed effects analysis green transformation of agriculture high-quality development |
| title | Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization |
| title_full | Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization |
| title_fullStr | Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization |
| title_short | Empowering sustainable development: revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization |
| title_sort | empowering sustainable development revolutionizing agricultural green total factor productivity through rural digitalization |
| topic | digital rural development agricultural green total factor productivity sustainable development fixed effects analysis green transformation of agriculture high-quality development |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1455732/full |
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