Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China
IntroductionIn 2024, China issued the “Action Plan for Grain Conservation and Anti-Food Waste,” signifying a new phase in the efforts towards food security and waste reduction. Reducing food loss at the farm level is a crucial component of this action plan. This paper studies the impact of transfer...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1613607/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849737245956767744 |
|---|---|
| author | Xiaoxiao Li Yujiao Li Nanyan Hu Yi Luo Laping Wu |
| author_facet | Xiaoxiao Li Yujiao Li Nanyan Hu Yi Luo Laping Wu |
| author_sort | Xiaoxiao Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionIn 2024, China issued the “Action Plan for Grain Conservation and Anti-Food Waste,” signifying a new phase in the efforts towards food security and waste reduction. Reducing food loss at the farm level is a crucial component of this action plan. This paper studies the impact of transfer payments on food loss in rural households.MethodsUsing data from a field survey on 1,196 rural households across six provinces of China, this study build Tobit models to conduct the empirical test.ResultsThe results show that: (1) The relationship between transfer payments and household food loss exhibits an inverted U-shape, whereby the loss rate first increases and then declines with rising levels of transfer payments. This non-linear effect remains robust across various model specifications and sample robustness checks. (2) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of transfer payments is significantly stronger among small-scale farmers, households located in western regions, and those with limited farming experience. (3) In addition, natural disasters, food quality, and the gender of the household decision-maker are found to exert statistically significant effects on food loss.DiscussionThis study presents a better understanding of the actual impacts of transfer payments on food loss in rural China, and provides valuable insights for other countries or regions that also engage in the improvement of income to reduce food loss and waste. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6bd0ee58928a4dc3a6df0ff260f2e8e4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-6bd0ee58928a4dc3a6df0ff260f2e8e42025-08-20T03:06:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-08-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.16136071613607Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from ChinaXiaoxiao Li0Yujiao Li1Nanyan Hu2Yi Luo3Laping Wu4School of Public Finance and Taxation, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang, ChinaSchool of Public Finance and Taxation, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang, ChinaDepartment of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaNational Development and Reform Commission, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaIntroductionIn 2024, China issued the “Action Plan for Grain Conservation and Anti-Food Waste,” signifying a new phase in the efforts towards food security and waste reduction. Reducing food loss at the farm level is a crucial component of this action plan. This paper studies the impact of transfer payments on food loss in rural households.MethodsUsing data from a field survey on 1,196 rural households across six provinces of China, this study build Tobit models to conduct the empirical test.ResultsThe results show that: (1) The relationship between transfer payments and household food loss exhibits an inverted U-shape, whereby the loss rate first increases and then declines with rising levels of transfer payments. This non-linear effect remains robust across various model specifications and sample robustness checks. (2) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of transfer payments is significantly stronger among small-scale farmers, households located in western regions, and those with limited farming experience. (3) In addition, natural disasters, food quality, and the gender of the household decision-maker are found to exert statistically significant effects on food loss.DiscussionThis study presents a better understanding of the actual impacts of transfer payments on food loss in rural China, and provides valuable insights for other countries or regions that also engage in the improvement of income to reduce food loss and waste.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1613607/fulltransfer paymentsrural householdfood lossTobit modelfood security |
| spellingShingle | Xiaoxiao Li Yujiao Li Nanyan Hu Yi Luo Laping Wu Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems transfer payments rural household food loss Tobit model food security |
| title | Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China |
| title_full | Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China |
| title_fullStr | Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China |
| title_short | Do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household? Empirical evidence from China |
| title_sort | do transfer payments affect food loss in rural household empirical evidence from china |
| topic | transfer payments rural household food loss Tobit model food security |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1613607/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiaoxiaoli dotransferpaymentsaffectfoodlossinruralhouseholdempiricalevidencefromchina AT yujiaoli dotransferpaymentsaffectfoodlossinruralhouseholdempiricalevidencefromchina AT nanyanhu dotransferpaymentsaffectfoodlossinruralhouseholdempiricalevidencefromchina AT yiluo dotransferpaymentsaffectfoodlossinruralhouseholdempiricalevidencefromchina AT lapingwu dotransferpaymentsaffectfoodlossinruralhouseholdempiricalevidencefromchina |