Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications
IntroductionPromoting sustainable food systems requires advancing social and economic equity, particularly in rural areas with limited access to technology. Digital skills are increasingly vital in narrowing consumption disparities and fostering sustainable livelihoods.MethodsThis study investigates...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1562816/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850190890498260992 |
|---|---|
| author | Xinru Liu Ubair Nisar Zainab Khalid Xiujie Zhang Mingyuan Guo Meijie She Mahmood Ahmad Mahmood Ahmad Mahmood Ahmad |
| author_facet | Xinru Liu Ubair Nisar Zainab Khalid Xiujie Zhang Mingyuan Guo Meijie She Mahmood Ahmad Mahmood Ahmad Mahmood Ahmad |
| author_sort | Xinru Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPromoting sustainable food systems requires advancing social and economic equity, particularly in rural areas with limited access to technology. Digital skills are increasingly vital in narrowing consumption disparities and fostering sustainable livelihoods.MethodsThis study investigates the impact of digital skills on consumption inequality among Chinese farmers using longitudinal data from the 2014–2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). A Tobit regression model is employed, supplemented with robustness checks.ResultsThe findings reveal that digital skills significantly reduce consumption inequality, especially in subsistence-related categories (such as food and healthcare) and enjoyment-oriented categories (such as education and leisure).DiscussionMechanism analysis identifies three key pathways through which digital skills operate: reducing mobility constraints, increasing non-farm employment opportunities, and improving access to information. The effects are particularly pronounced among farmers aged over 60 and those residing in central, western, northeastern, and northern regions. Policy implications include expanding digital skills training, enhancing regulation of rural credit institutions, and improving digital platforms for information dissemination. Tailored, region-specific strategies are recommended to accelerate digital inclusion and promote equitable rural development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-703e90331384440c83cb29fd2b83b237 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-703e90331384440c83cb29fd2b83b2372025-08-20T02:15:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-05-01910.3389/fsufs.2025.15628161562816Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implicationsXinru Liu0Ubair Nisar1Zainab Khalid2Xiujie Zhang3Mingyuan Guo4Meijie She5Mahmood Ahmad6Mahmood Ahmad7Mahmood Ahmad8School of Economics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, ChinaInstitute of Business and Policy Research, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, IndiaSchool of Economics and Management, Southeast University, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Economics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, ChinaSchool of Economics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, ChinaSchool of Economics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, ChinaSchool of Economics and Business, Western Caspian University, Baku, AzerbaijanDepartment of Green Economics, Tashkent State University of Economics, Tashkent, UzbekistanApplied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, JordanIntroductionPromoting sustainable food systems requires advancing social and economic equity, particularly in rural areas with limited access to technology. Digital skills are increasingly vital in narrowing consumption disparities and fostering sustainable livelihoods.MethodsThis study investigates the impact of digital skills on consumption inequality among Chinese farmers using longitudinal data from the 2014–2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). A Tobit regression model is employed, supplemented with robustness checks.ResultsThe findings reveal that digital skills significantly reduce consumption inequality, especially in subsistence-related categories (such as food and healthcare) and enjoyment-oriented categories (such as education and leisure).DiscussionMechanism analysis identifies three key pathways through which digital skills operate: reducing mobility constraints, increasing non-farm employment opportunities, and improving access to information. The effects are particularly pronounced among farmers aged over 60 and those residing in central, western, northeastern, and northern regions. Policy implications include expanding digital skills training, enhancing regulation of rural credit institutions, and improving digital platforms for information dissemination. Tailored, region-specific strategies are recommended to accelerate digital inclusion and promote equitable rural development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1562816/fulldigital skillsfood systemsfarmer consumption inequalityrural developmentChina |
| spellingShingle | Xinru Liu Ubair Nisar Zainab Khalid Xiujie Zhang Mingyuan Guo Meijie She Mahmood Ahmad Mahmood Ahmad Mahmood Ahmad Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems digital skills food systems farmer consumption inequality rural development China |
| title | Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications |
| title_full | Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications |
| title_fullStr | Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications |
| title_short | Digital skills and farmers’ consumption inequality: mechanisms, regional insights, and policy implications |
| title_sort | digital skills and farmers consumption inequality mechanisms regional insights and policy implications |
| topic | digital skills food systems farmer consumption inequality rural development China |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1562816/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xinruliu digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT ubairnisar digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT zainabkhalid digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT xiujiezhang digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT mingyuanguo digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT meijieshe digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT mahmoodahmad digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT mahmoodahmad digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications AT mahmoodahmad digitalskillsandfarmersconsumptioninequalitymechanismsregionalinsightsandpolicyimplications |