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农业经济与管理Agricultural Economics and Management

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For Selected: Download Citations EndNote Ris BibTeX Toggle Thumbnails Select Moving beyond the opposition of diverse knowledge systems for food security and nutrition Nathana?l PINGAULT, Patrick CARON, Alicia KOLMANS, Stefanie LEMKE, Carol KALAFATIC, Sabine ZIKELI, Ann WATERS-BAYER, Carolin CALLENIUS, QIN Yong-jun 2020, 19 (1): 291-293.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62807-8 Abstract （119）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) is influenced by diverse and complex factors, and therefore requires a holistic approach to agriculture and food systems plus integration of knowledge from diverse sources in science and society.  Using the results of a colloquium held at the University of Hohenheim (Germany) in September 2016 leading up to the recent High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) Note on Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition, this article underlines the role of research and innovation as a social and political process and draws attention to neglected types of knowledge.  It illustrates the potential of knowledge co-production and co-innovation to transform food systems in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.    Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Influence of surface ozone on crop yield of maize in China YI Fu-jin, FENG Jia-ao, WANG Yan-jun, JIANG Fei 2020, 19 (2): 578-589.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62822-4 Abstract （118）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study investigated the adverse effect of surface ozone on the maize yield using a unique panel from 880 counties in China.  To identify the impact of elevated surface ozone concentrations, we constructed an econometric model by controlling the impact of climate variables and related economic variables.  This study also considered the potential spatial correlation in the measurement of the impact of surface ozone on maize yield.  Results confirmed that the increase of ozone concentration decreased the maize yield.  Moreover, maize was found to be the most sensitive to ozone at the end of the second month of the growing season.  The average annual loss of maize caused by ozone pollution is about 4.234 million tons in 2013–2015, accounting for 1.9% of the average output.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Do large-scale farmers use more pesticides?  Empirical evidence from rice farmers in five Chinese provinces  QIN Shi-le, Lü Xin-ye 2020, 19 (2): 590-599.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62864-9 Abstract （148）      PDF in ScienceDirect       It is of great theoretical and practical significance to understand the rules of the differences in pesticide use behaviors between large-scale and small-scale farmers, so as to regulate the behavior of farmers differently and improve the quality and safety of rice.  The overall pesticide use behavior of large-scale farmers was characterized by large doses and high application frequency, while that of small-scale farmers was characterized by small doses and low application frequency.  The econometric test showed that (i) the proportion of staple food ration has a significant negative impact on the single dose exceeding the standard and pesticide application frequency of small-scale farmers, and the increase of the proportion of staple food ration will reduce the demand among small-scale farmers for pesticides; (ii) yield effect has a greater impact on the frequency of pesticide application by large-scale farmers, and the large yield effect will increase the frequency of pesticide application among large-scale farmers.  Therefore, in pesticide use behaviors, large-scale farmers should reduce pesticide quantity and increase efficiency, while small-scale farmers improve the level of plant protection.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select China’s alfalfa market and imports: Development, trends, and potential impacts of the U.S.–China trade dispute and retaliations Qingbin WANG, ZOU Yang 2020, 19 (4): 1149-1158.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(19)62832-7 Abstract （182）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study examines the development and trends of China’s alfalfa market and imports, identifies key factors for the rapid increase in China’s alfalfa imports, and discusses potential impacts of the U.S.–China trade dispute and retaliations on the alfalfa markets and trade in both nations.  China’s rapid transition toward larger-scale commercial dairy production, with enhanced feed and cost management as well as quality and safety control, and its limited resources for high-quality alfalfa production are key factors for the dramatic increase in its alfalfa imports, from 19 601 metric tons in 2008 to 1.38 million metric tons (mmt) in 2018.  While the United States dominated China’s alfalfa imports with an average share of 97.01% from 2007 to 2017, the share dropped to 83.76% in 2018 and 63.28% in January 2019 due to the trade dispute and retaliations started in 2018.  China will likely remain a large importer of alfalfa because of both its growing demand and the comparative advantages of imported alfalfa in quality and price, but the imports from the United States will be highly affected by the ongoing trade dispute and negotiations.  China is also expected to make more efforts to reduce its dependence on U.S. alfalfa through increased investment in domestic alfalfa production and identification of alternative sources of alfalfa and other hay imports.    Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impact of cash crop cultivation on household income and migration decisions: Evidence from low-income regions in China LI Meng, Christopher GAN, Wanglin MA, Wei JIANG 2020, 19 (10): 2571-2581.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63161-6 Abstract （156）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study examines the impact of cash crop cultivation on household income and migration decisions, using survey data collected from low-income regions in China.  Given farmers decide themselves whether to cultivate cash crops, an endogenous treatment regression model that accounts for potential selection bias issue is used to analyze the data.  The empirical results show that cash crop cultivation exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on household income, but it does not affect household migration decisions significantly.  The disaggregated analyses reveal that cash crop cultivation significantly increases farm income but decreases off-farm income. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Research and application of real-time monitoring and early warning thresholds for multi-temporal agricultural products information XU Shi-wei, WANG Yu, WANG Sheng-wei, LI Jian-zheng 2020, 19 (10): 2582-2596.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63368-8 Abstract （132）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Monitoring and early warning is an important means to effectively prevent risks in agricultural production, consumption and price.  In particular, with the change of modes of national administration against the background of big data, improving the capacity to monitor agricultural products is of great significance for macroeconomic decision-making.  Agricultural product information early warning thresholds are the core of agricultural product monitoring and early warning.  How to appropriately determine the early warning thresholds of multi-temporal agricultural product information is a key question to realize real-time and dynamic monitoring and early warning.  Based on the theory of abnormal fluctuation of agricultural product information and the research of substantive impact on the society, this paper comprehensively discussed the methods to determine the thresholds of agricultural product information fluctuation in different time dimensions.  Based on the data of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC) and survey data, this paper used a variety of statistical methods to determine the early warning thresholds of the production, consumption and prices of agricultural products.  Combined with Delphi expert judgment correction method, it finally determined the early warning thresholds of agricultural product information in multiple time, and carried out early warning analysis on the fluctuation of agricultural product monitoring information in 2018.  The results show that: (1) the daily, weekly and monthly monitoring and early warning thresholds of agricultural products play an important early warning role in monitoring abnormal fluctuations with agricultural products; (2) the multi-temporal monitoring and early warning thresholds of agricultural product information identified by the research institute can provide effective early warning on current abnormal fluctuation of agricultural product information, provide a benchmarking standard for China’s agricultural production, consumption and price monitoring and early warning at the national macro level, and further improve the application of China’s agricultural product monitoring and early warning. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Driving factors of direct greenhouse gas emissions from China’s pig industry from 1976 to 2016 DAI Xiao-wen, Zhanli SUN, Daniel MÜLLER 2021, 20 (1): 319-329.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63425-6 Abstract （214）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Livestock cultivation is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for 14.5% of the total anthropogenic emissions.  China is responsible for a considerable share of the global livestock emissions, particularly caused by pork production.  We used the Kaya identity and the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) to decompose the national annual GHG emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in pig farming in China from 1976 to 2016.  We decomposed the sources of the emissions into five driving factors: (1) technological progress (e.g., feed improvement); (2) structural adjustment in the livestock sector; (3) structural adjustment in agriculture; (4) affluence; and (5) population growth.  The results showed that the net GHG emissions from the pig sector in China increased 16 million tons (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) during the study period.  The decomposition analysis revealed that structural adjustment in agriculture, growing affluence, and population growth contributed to an increase of the GHG emissions of pork production by 23, 41, and 13 Mt CO2eq, respectively.  The technological progress and structural changes in animal husbandry mitigated emissions by –51 and –11 Mt CO2eq, respectively.  Further technological progress in pig production and optimizing the economic structures are critical for further reducing GHG emissions in China’s pig industry.  Our results highlight the dominant role of technological changes for emission reductions in the pig farming.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The dynamic impact of income and income distribution on food consumption among adults in rural China LI Lei, ZHAI Shi-xian, BAI Jun-fei 2021, 20 (1): 330-342.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63239-7 Abstract （170）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Previous studies have demonstrated that income has a significant effect on food demand in rural China.  However, little research has focused on the dynamic impact of income and income distribution on food demand in rural China.  Using China Health and Nutrition Survey data, this study employs a consistent two-step quadratic almost ideal demand system model, with addressed problems of endogeneity of total expenditure and zero shares, to estimate the food demand elasticities among adults in rural areas with regard to the different income strata.  The results show that changes in income and income strata have significant effects on food demand in rural areas.  Except for grains, all other food groups, including vegetables, oils and fats, animal products, and other foods, have positive income elasticities, and the rise in the income strata will lead to declining income elasticities for grains, vegetables, oils and fats, and Related Articles | Metrics Select Phosphate rock reduces the bioavailability of heavy metals by influencing the bacterial communities during aerobic composting CUI Hu, OU Yang, WANG Li-xia, YAN Bai-xing, LI Ying-xin, DING Da-wei 2021, 20 (5): 1137-1146.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63300-7 Abstract （122）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Available information on the microbial mechanisms associated with heavy metal (HM) passivation during co-composting amended with phosphate rock (PR) remains limited.  Thus, this study investigated the dynamic changes in bacterial communities and HM-fractions (Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr and Pb) during swine manure composting with maize straw, and ascertained the bacterial influence on HM-passivation.  The results demonstrated that the addition of PR improved HM-passivation, especially for Zn and Cd, with their bioavailability factors (BFs) reduced by 247.41 and 176.25%, respectively.  As for bacterial communities, the proportion of Firmicutes decreased, while the proportions of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus and Gemmatimonadetes increased in all treatments.  PR significantly changed the primary bacterial phyla in the thermophilic phase.  Bacteroidetes were the main bacterial component controlling the passivation of Zn, Cu and Cr, while Deinococcus-Thermus mainly regulated the mobility of Zn and Pb, and Proteobacteria only dominated the transformation among Cd-fractions.  These results may provide a reference for the use of HM-passivation techniques during composting.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The river chief system and agricultural non-point source water pollution control in China ZHOU Li, LI Ling-zhi, HUANG Ji-kun 2021, 20 (5): 1382-1395.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63370-6 Abstract （148）      PDF in ScienceDirect       As part of their efforts to control water pollution, local governments in China introduced the river chief system, whereby a named individual undertakes responsibility for protecting a specified waterway.  As one of the most prominent sources of water pollution, agricultural non-point-source (NPS) pollution is becoming increasingly serious.  Determining whether the river chief system, an institutional reform in China’s decentralized environmental regulation regime, is effective in alleviating NPS pollution is important for the realization of green development.  The effect of the river chief system on reducing agricultural NPS pollution is explored in this study using panel data from 308 Chinese counties during the period from 2004 to 2015.  The results reveal that the negative impact of manure output from animal breeding operations on surface water quality is reduced with the implementation of the river chief system.  However, the river chief system is ineffective in dealing with the water pollution caused by fertilizer use.  Furthermore, in the current system, cooperation among river chiefs only occurs within a province.  Local governments should increase their efforts in reducing fertilizer source loads and preventing fertilizer loads from entering surface waters.  In addition, the central government should improve cooperation among the river chiefs in upstream and downstream provinces. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Can harvest outsourcing services reduce field harvest losses of rice in China? QU Xue, Daizo KOJIMA, Yukinaga NISHIHARA, WU La-ping, Mitsuyoshi ANDO 2021, 20 (5): 1396-1406.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63263-4 Abstract （171）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The purpose of this study is to quantify the rice harvest losses in China and to evaluate the impacts of machinery and harvest outsourcing services on these losses, given the background of high-speed mechanization and outsourcing services.  Data were collected from a national survey conducted in 2016 by the research team in conjunction with the Research Center for the Rural Economy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China.  A non-parametric method was used to test whether combine harvesting and outsourcing services could significantly reduce harvest losses.  Next, quantile regression was used to estimate the real effects of machinery and outsourcing services on harvest losses.  The analysis yielded four main study outcomes.  First, the harvest loss rate of rice in China was 3.65%.  Second, mechanical reaping and winnowing caused greater losses than manual methods, while the opposite was true of field transportation.  Third, combine harvesting increased the losses.  Fourth, the effects of an outsourcing service on losses differed among the different harvesting methods.  Outsourcing services increased losses in segmented harvesting but they reduced losses in combine harvesting. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impacts of household income on beef at-home consumption: Evidence from urban China ZHU Wen-bo, CHEN Yong-fu, ZHAO Jing, WU Bei-bei 2021, 20 (6): 1701-1715.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63582-1 Abstract （195）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Beef consumption in China has increased substantially from 5.0 million tons in 2000 to 7.7 million tons in 2019 thanks to rapid income growth, but still remains low compared to pork and poultry consumption.  Improving the understanding about the impacts of household income on beef consumption in China is necessary to forecast future beef demand and inform the domestic beef industry, especially in the context of unprecedented expansion of middle income class in China.  Based on survey data of 32 878 urban households collected by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, we employed the inverse hyperbolic sine (IHS) double-hurdle model to estimate income elasticities of beef demand across different income groups and simulated possible trends of future beef consumption of Chinese urban residents.  The empirical results showed that the unconditional income elasticities of beef consumption at home vary between 0.169 for the low-income group and 0.671 for the high-income group.  The simulated results indicated that beef consumption is expected to increase by 12.0 to 38.8% in 10 years and by 18.6 to 70.5% in 15 years under distinct income growth scenarios.  Our findings provide practical insights for policy makers and other stakeholders about future beef demand, such as potential opportunities embedded in rising beef demand for domestic producers and world beef exporters as well as the urgency of improving the supply chain resilience of beef in China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Do cooperatives participation and technology adoption improve farmers’ welfare in China?  A joint analysis accounting for selection bias YANG Dan, ZHANG Hui-wei, LIU Zi-min, ZENG Qiao 2021, 20 (6): 1716-1726.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63325-1 Abstract （233）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study examines the impact of farmers’ cooperatives participation and technology adoption on their economic welfare in China.  A double selectivity model (DSM) is applied to correct for sample selection bias stemming from both observed and unobserved factors, and a propensity score matching (PSM) method is applied to calculate the agricultural income difference with counter factual analysis using survey data from 396 farmers in 15 provinces in China.  The findings indicate that farmers who join farmer cooperatives and adopt agricultural technology can increase agricultural income by 2.77 and 2.35%, respectively, compared with those non-participants and non-adopters.  Interestingly, the effect on agricultural income is found to be more significant for the low-income farmers than the high-income ones, with income increasing 5.45 and 4.51% when participating in farmer cooperatives and adopting agricultural technology, respectively.  Our findings highlight the positive role of farmer cooperatives and agricultural technology in promoting farmers’ economic welfare.  Based on the findings, government policy implications are also discussed. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Farmers’ risk preference and fertilizer use QIAO Fang-bin, HUANG Ji-kun 2021, 20 (7): 1987-1995.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63450-5 Abstract （226）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study examines the role of farmers’ risk attitudes toward fertilizer use in cotton production in China.  Contradicting previous studies, this paper theoretically shows that the relationship between farmers’ risk aversion and fertilizer use is not always monotonic.  Field survey data were collected to test this relationship using the Cobb–Douglas production function.  Results suggest that when the elasticity of fertilizer use and the probability of achieving the desired effects from fertilizer use are high, risk-averse farmers apply more fertilizer than risk-taking farmers.  Conversely, when the elasticity of fertilizer use and the probability of achieving the desired effects are low, risk-taking farmers apply more fertilizer than risk-neutral or risk-averse farmers.  Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Mechanization and efficiency in rice production in China SHI Min, Krishna P. PAUDEL, CHEN Feng-bo 2021, 20 (7): 1996-2008.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63439-6 Abstract （188）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Agricultural mechanization and custom machine services have developed rapidly in China, which can influence rice production efficiency in the future.  We calculate technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, and scale efficiency using data collected in 2015 from a face-to-face interview survey of 450 households that cultivated 3 096 plots located in the five major rice-producing provinces of China.  We use a one-step stochastic frontier model to calculate technical efficiency and regress the efficiency scores on socio-demographic and physical land characteristics to find the influencing variables.  Variables influencing technical efficiency are compared at three different phases of rice cultivation.  We also calculate technical efficiency by using the Heckman Selection Model, which addresses technological heterogeneity and self-selection bias.  Results indicate that: (1) the average value of technical efficiency using a one-step stochastic frontier model was found to be 0.74.  When self-selection bias is accounted for using the Heckman Selection Model, the average value of the technical efficiency increases to 0.80; (2) mechanization at the chemical application phase has a positive effect on technical efficiency, but mechanization does not affect efficiency at the plowing and harvesting phases; (3) machines are overused relative to both land and labor, and high machine input use on the small size of landholding has resulted in allocative inefficiency; (4) rice farmers are overwhelmingly operating at a sub-optimal scale.  Future policies should focus on encouraging farmland transfer in rural areas to achieve scale efficiency and allocative efficiency while promoting mechanization at the chemical application phase of rice cultivation to improve technical efficiency.  Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select African swine fever and meat prices fluctuation: An empirical study in China based on TVP-VAR model LI Hui-shang, HU Chen-pei, LÜ Zheng, LI Mei-qi, GUO Xin-zhu 2021, 20 (8): 2289-2301.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63307-X Abstract （264）      PDF in ScienceDirect       frican swine fever (ASF), a fatal disease outbroken in China in August 2018, has widely attracted social concern especially in the information era.  The occurrence of ASF led to an imbalance between supply and demand in pork and other meat markets.  As a result, meat prices fluctuated greatly during the past year in 2019.  To measure ASF quantitatively, the internet public concern index about ASF was created using web crawler methods.  The relationships between ASF and meat prices were analyzed based on time-varying parameter vector auto-regressive (TVP-VAR) model.  The results showed that there were some differences in the impact size, direction and duration of ASF on the prices of pork, chicken, beef and mutton, and the characteristics of time variability and heterogeneity were obvious.  At the same time, the impact of ASF on meat prices is not consistent with the trend and degree of ASF.  The impulse intensity is strongly correlated with the strength and duration of ASF, and it is generally weak in the early stage and much stronger in the middle and late periods.  The results indicate that macro regulations, monitoring and early-warning system, standardizing production and circulation, and the public opinion monitoring and guidance about ASF should be given more attention in future to stabilize the market expectations and to promote a smooth functioning of the livestock markets. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Adoption of small-scale irrigation technologies and its impact on land productivity: Evidence from Rwanda Jules NGANGO, Seungjee HONG 2021, 20 (8): 2302-2312.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63417-7 Abstract （142）      PDF in ScienceDirect       In an attempt to identify solutions to the effects of erratic rainfall patterns and droughts that limit agricultural production growth, the Rwandan government has recently increased investments in irrigation development.  In this study, we analyze the adoption of small-scale irrigation technologies (SSITs) and its impact on land productivity using cross-sectional data from a sample of 360 farmers in Rwanda.  The study uses the propensity score matching technique to address potential self-selection bias.  Our results reveal that adoption decisions are significantly influenced by factors such as education, farm size, group membership, gender, extension services, access to credit, access to weather forecast information, risk perceptions, access to a reliable source of water for irrigation, awareness of rainwater harvesting techniques, and awareness of subsidy programs.  In addition, the results show that the adoption of SSITs has a significantly positive impact on land productivity.  The study concludes with policy implications that highlight the need to promote the adoption of SSITs among farmers as a strategy to improve agricultural productivity and food security in Rwanda.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Do credit constraints affect households’ economic vulnerability? Empirical evidence from rural China PENG Yan-ling, Yanjun REN, LI Hou-jian 2021, 20 (9): 2552-2568.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63557-2 Abstract （112）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Poverty alleviation is still one of the major challenges in developing countries, especially in transitional economy like China.  From the perspective of anti-poverty, this paper examines the impact of formal credit constraints (FCCs) and informal credit constraints (IFCCs) on economic vulnerability (EV) using the data from the China Household Income Project (CHIP) survey for 2013 (CHIPs 2013) of rural households.  The potential endogeneity problem of credit constraints (CCs) is addressed by applying the control function approach within an ordered probit model.  The results show that both FCCs and IFCCs have a robust positive and significant impact on the EV of rural households and that the impact of FCCs is greater than that of IFCCs.  To identify the potential mechanisms through which CCs affect EV, the seemingly unrelated regressions are used and the potential intercorrelation among these mechanisms is examined.  We find that the impact of CCs on EV is partly mediated by health, trust, per capita financial assets and per capita income, whereby health and per capita income contribute to most of the total indirect effect.  Thus, policies focus on supply-side and demand-side to improve credit accessibility could reduce rural households’ EV, especially through its positive effect on health and per capita income.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Mental accounting and consumption of self-produced food HUANG Jia-qi, Gerrit ANTONIDES, Christian H. KUHLGATZ, NIE Feng-ying 2021, 20 (9): 2569-2580.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63585-7 Abstract （152）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This is an exploratory study on mental accounting and food budgeting of agricultural households, in which we assumed that agricultural households may have a mental account for consumption of their self-produced food.  Accordingly, they may reserve a certain quantity of self-produced food as a set budget for own consumption, implying that they may keep on consuming their own produce until they have consumed the quantity set for the mental budget.  By making the mental accounting assumption, we hypothesized that the consumption of self-produced food is independent of market price.  Also, we hypothesized that the consumption of self-produced food is increasing in the quantity of production if production is lower than the set budget, and independent of the quantity of production if production exceeds the set budget.  By applying a double-log demand model and using survey data from six poor rural counties in China, we tested these hypotheses for five food items, which are rice, flour, potatoes, pork, and eggs.  We found that the hypothesis of no significant effect of price holds for flour, potatoes, and pork if production is lower than the set budget, and for rice, pork, and eggs if production is higher than the set budget.  Production has a significant positive effect on consumption of self-produced food but with a much greater influence when production is lower than the set budget for all five food items.  These findings partly support our assumption of mental accounting of self-produced food.  Limitations, policy implications, and possible future studies are discussed.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Food safety inspection and the adoption of traceability in aquatic wholesale markets: A game-theoretic model and empirical evidence JIN Cang-yu, Retsef LEVI, LIANG Qiao, Nicholas RENEGAR, ZHOU Jie-hong 2021, 20 (10): 2807-2819.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63624-9 Abstract （166）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Supply chain traceability is key to reduce food safety risks, since it allows problems to be traced to their sources.  Moreover, it allows regulatory agencies to understand where risk is introduced into the supply chain, and offers a major disincentive for upstream agricultural businesses engaging in economically motivated adulteration.  This paper focuses on the aquatic supply chain in China, and seeks to understand the adoption of traceability both through an analytical model, and empirical analysis based on data collected through an extensive (largest ever) field survey of Chinese aquatic wholesale markets.  The field survey includes 76 managers and 753 vendors, covering all aquatic wholesale markets in Zhejiang and Hunan provinces.  The analytical and empirical results suggest that the adoption of traceability among wholesale market vendors is significantly associated with inspection intensity, their individual history of food safety problems, and their risk awareness.  The effect of inspection intensity on traceability adoption is stronger in markets which are privately owned than in markets with state/collective ownership.  The analysis offers insights into the current state of traceability in China.  More importantly, it suggests several hypothesized factors that might affect the adoption of traceability and could be leveraged by regulatory organizations to improve it. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Assessing the impact of non-governmental organization’s extension programs on sustainable cocoa production and household income in Ghana Sonny Gad ATTIPOE, CAO Jian-min, Yaa OPOKU-KWANOWAA, Frank OHENE-SEFA 2021, 20 (10): 2820-2836.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63607-9 Abstract （140）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Globally, cocoa is famous for the production of chocolates and beverages. However, it also serves as a source of raw material for the manufacturing of high-quality cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.  Due to its high demand, cocoa is regarded as a major commodity for poverty alleviation in deprived cocoa farming communities.  Government has therefore instigated relevant measures to address issues facing the sector by investing in extension programs.  These programs act as information dissemination tools for teaching modern farming technologies and enhancing learning among farmers.  This study highlighted the effects of the Cocoa Life Project (CLP) by Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) International on farm productivity and income of 200 cocoa farmers in three districts of the Eastern Region, Ghana.  Regression on covariates, Heckman’s treatment effects model, and propensity scores were used to test the robustness of the estimates.  A positive association between extension program participation, farm productivity, and household income was discovered.  Specifically, after correcting for selection bias, the estimated results of the Heckman’s model showed that the extension program significantly increased participating farmers’ cocoa yield by 14.3%.  The effects on total farm income showed a significant increase of 25.1 and 42.9%, respectively from regression on propensity scores and the Heckman’s model.  Across all three models, program participation led to an increase in total household income by 46.1, 31.7, and 69.3%, respectively.  Other variables such as farming characteristics, institutional and demographic factors affected farmers’ income, depending on the estimation method used.  This study reiterated the supporting role played by extension programs in enhancing cocoa production and increasing household income in Ghana.  Conclusively, government and development partners should invest in extension programs by providing enough logistics, training qualified agents, and creating a conducive atmosphere to support learning and technology adoption. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Scale and scope economies in small household rice farming in Vietnam Viet-Ngu HOANG, Trung Thanh NGUYEN, Clevo WILSON, Thong Quoc HO, Uttam KHANAL 2021, 20 (12): 3339-3351.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63612-2 Abstract （101）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The Vietnamese agricultural sector has experienced a dramatic structural change based on increased specialization in rice cultivation.  However, small-scale rice-farmers have continued to grow multiple crops, especially in less developed provinces.  While the literature advocates crop diversification for reasons of both economic and ecological sustainability, there lacks empirical evidence as to whether crop diversification brings efficiency and productivity gains to small farms.  The present study is the first applications of the input-oriented stochastic distance function approach in estimating scale and scope economies using data of multi-crop farming households in Vietnam.  We find strong evidence of product-specific economies of scale.  Scope economies are also present for rice, vegetable, and other annual crop production.  This suggests that crop diversification enhances efficiency and productivity.  However, there still exists significant technical inefficiency in crop production, indicating opportunities to expand farm output at the existing level of inputs and technologies.  More specifically, our empirical results indicate that it is desirable to expand vegetable and other annual crop production in mountainous areas while rice cultivation can be further expanded in delta and coastal regions.    Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The impact of farmers’ assessments of risk management strategies on their adoption willingness SHANG Yan, XIONG Tao 2021, 20 (12): 3323-3338.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63749-8 Abstract （182）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Farmers’ assessments of risk management strategies and how the assessments influence their willingness to adopt these strategies are poorly understood.  This study conducts a structured survey of 469 farmers to investigate how farmers assess both crop insurance and crop price insurance, the impact of the assessments on their adoption willingness, and in particular, the differences in assessments and adoption willingness between crop insurance and crop price insurance.  Empirical results show that farmers’ assessments on crop insurance can be significantly improved through communication and experience.  The most effective way to improve farmers’ assessments on crop price insurance is providing adequate information about the insurance products.  Furthermore, farmers’ adoption willingness would be enhanced by improved assessment of both crop yield and crop price insurance.  This study provides the first empirical evidence that farmers have limited information to assess insurance, which significantly influences their willingness to adopt.  This finding reflects that the dissemination of insurance policies, the effectiveness of insurance, and the availability of insurance services significantly enable farmers’ ability to assess risk management strategies, which potentially increases farmers’ willingness to adopt insurance.     Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The relationship between farm size and fertilizer use efficiency: Evidence from China ZHU Wei, QI Li-xia, WANG Rui-mei 2022, 21 (1): 273-281.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63724-3 Abstract （246）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Low fertilizer use efficiency is commonly found in China’s agriculture sector.  It is critical to understand the drivers of fertilizer use in order to increase fertilizer use efficiency (FUE).  The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between farm size and FUE based on farm-level data in China.  The results suggest a positive farm size–FUE relationship.  The estimated elasticities of farm size for rice, maize, wheat–maize, and rice–maize are similar, and the average elasticity of farm size is around 0.2.  Statistically, a 1% increase in farm size is associated with a 0.2% increase in FUE.  The positive effect of farm size on FUE is not due to the increase in yield, but the reduction in fertilizer use while keeping yield largely unchanged.  The findings suggest that promoting the expansion of farm size may increase FUE, and thus reduce environmental pollution caused by fertilizer overuse. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Does Internet use promote the adoption of agricultural technology?  Evidence from 1 449 farm households in 14 Chinese provinces ZHENG Yang-yang, ZHU Tie-hui, JIA Wei 2022, 21 (1): 282-292.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63750-4 Abstract （312）      PDF in ScienceDirect       China is characterized as ‘a large country with many smallholder farmers’ whose participation in modern agriculture is key to the country’s modern agriculture development.  Promoting smallholder farmers’ adoption of modern agricultural production technology is one effective way to improve the capabilities of smallholder farmers.  This paper aims to explore the impact of Internet use on the adoption of agricultural production technology by smallholder farmers based on a survey of 1 449 smallholders across 14 provinces in China.  The results suggest that Internet use can significantly promote technology adoption, with the probability of adopting new crop varieties, water-saving irrigation technology and straw-returning technology increasing by 0.200, 0.157 and 0.155, respectively.  Furthermore, the effect of Internet use is found to be heterogeneous with a greater effect on smallholder farmers having low education levels, limited training, and high incomes.  To increase agricultural production technology adoption by smallholders, rural Internet infrastructure and Internet use promotion should be the focus for the Chinese government. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Black tea markets worldwide: Are they integrated? XU Yong-mei, QIAO Fang-bin, HUANG Ji-kun 2022, 21 (2): 552-565.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63850-9 Abstract （211）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Global tea consumption has risen significantly alongside rapid expansion of international trade in recent years.  However, few studies have systematically examined the relationship among the major tea markets worldwide.  Using weekly data from 2012–2019, this study empirically analyzed the price series of the world’s major black tea auction markets.  The estimation results showed that these markets are connected, even though heterogeneities vary.  This finding holds not only for regional markets but also for international markets.  The findings offer important implications for tea-producing countries with millions of smallholder farmers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Changes in paddy cropping system enhanced economic profit and ecological sustainability in central China ZHOU Yong, YAN Xiao-yuan, GONG Song-ling, LI Cheng-wei, ZHU Rong, ZHU Bo, LIU Zhang-yong, WANG Xiao-long, CAO Peng 2022, 21 (2): 566-577.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63841-8 Abstract （204）      PDF in ScienceDirect       In China, the traditional early and late season double rice (DR) system is declining accompanied by the fast increase of two newly developed cropping systems: ratoon rice (RR) and rice–crawfish (RC).  Three methodologies: economic analysis, emergy evaluation and life cycle assessment (LCA) were employed to evaluate the economics and sustainability of this paddy cropping system change.  Economic analysis indicated that the income and profit of the RC system were far larger than those of RR and DR.  The income to costs ratio of RR and RC increased by 25.5 and 122.7% compared with that of DR, respectively.  RC had the highest emergy input thanks to increasing irrigation water, electricity, juvenile crawfish and forage input while RR showed a lower total emergy and nonrenewable emergy input, such as irrigation water, electricity, fertilizers and pesticides than DR.  The environmental loading ratios decreased by 16.7–50.4% when cropping system changed from DR to RR or from DR to RC while the emergy sustainability indexes increased by 22.6–112.9%.  The life cycle assessment indicated lower potential environmental impacts of RR and RC, whose total environmental impact indexes were 35.0–61.0% lower than that of DR.  Grain yield of RR was comparable with that of DR in spite of less financial and emergy input of RR, but RC had a much lower grain yield (a 53.6% reduction compared to DR).  These results suggested that RR is a suitable cropping system to achieve the food security, economic and environmental goals. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Agricultural production structure, market conditions and farmers' nutritional intake in rural China WAN Yue, HU Hao, Wuyang HU 2022, 21 (6): 1812-1824.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63873-X Abstract （184）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Nutrition poverty alleviation is an effective measure to improve the nutritional status of economically disadvantaged individuals, fundamentally improving their health and reducing poverty.  Based on the Entitlement Theory and using the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data, this paper examines the relationship between farmers’ nutritional intake, production structure and regional market conditions.  Results show that farmers with diversified production have better nutritional intake than those who specialize.  Furthermore, the correlation between regional market conditions and nutritional intake varies between economically disadvantaged and non-economically disadvantaged households.  Market conditions significantly influence the carbohydrate and fat intake of economically disadvantaged households and are positively associated with the dietary structure and nutritional intake of non-economically disadvantaged ones.  Moreover, income is positively correlated with the nutritional intake of non-economically disadvantaged households but not with economically disadvantaged ones.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Sustainability of the rice–crayfish farming model in waterlogged land: A case study in Qianjiang County, Hubei Province, China YUAN Peng-li, WANG Jin-ping, GUO Can, GUO Zi-yuan, GUO Yao, CAO Cou-gui 2022, 21 (4): 1203-1214.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63787-5 Abstract （145）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The rice–crayfish farming model has been rapidly developed and become an economically viable method to supply food in China in recent years.  However, its environmental and economic sustainability has not been thoroughly investigated.  This study uses a survey in 2016 and a field experiment in 2017 in Qianjiang, Hubei Province, China to assess the relative economics of concurrent rice–wheat (RW), rice–crayfish (RC), and crayfish monoculture (CM) models in waterlogged land areas.  The field survey indicated that the RC model had a higher benefit–cost ratio (3.5:1) than the RW (2.0:1) and CM (3.1:1) models and the RC model protected farmers’ enthusiasm for grain production facing unfavourable weather conditions.  The field experiment aimed to explore nitrogen management strategies in RC fields.  In the experiment, four levels of nitrogen concentration gradient - 0 kg N ha–1 (0 N), 75 kg N ha–1 (75 N), 150 kg N ha–1 (150 N) and 225 kg N ha–1 (225 N), were set in a 2-year-old rice–crayfish (RC2) field, an 8-year-old rice–crayfish (RC8) field, and a RW field as a control.  The field experiment results suggested that the peak  rice yield in RW, RC2, and RC8 occurred when 225 N, 150 N and 75 N were used, respectively.  In RC2 and RC8, however, residual feed-nitrogen that was not used by crayfish was utilized by rice plants.  Thus, an optimal amount of nitrogen in RC fields was proposed to improve the nitrogen use efficiency and reduce environmental pollution by nitrogen fertilizer.  Farmers use less nitrogen but have higher net income in RC than in RW and CM.  It is necessary to sustainably develop integrated farming technologies (i.e., proper field configurations for rice fields) to effectively sustain rice production.  The results also showed that the RC farming model was a viable diversification option for rice farmers in waterlogged land.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Wastewater irrigation and crop yield: A meta-analysis WANG Han-jie, Jingjing WANG, Xiaohua YU 2022, 21 (4): 1215-1224.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63853-4 Abstract （173）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Although wastewater irrigation in agriculture could be a potential adaptation to water scarcity, its effect on crop yield varies in the literature, making it difficult to evaluate its role in global food security comprehensively.  Using agronomic experiment data from 62 studies between 1987 and 2021, we employ a meta-analysis to analyze the factors contributing to the heterogeneous effects of wastewater irrigation on crop yield.  Our findings can be summarized as (1) the mean yield growth effect of wastewater irrigation is 19.7%; (2) domestic and breeding wastewater irrigation could significantly increase crop yield, while industrial wastewater has a negative effect although not significant; (3) high nutrients concentration of domestic wastewater is significantly positively correlated with crop yield; (4) agronomic experiment designs in terms of field experiment, experiment times, and fertilizer use could contribute to the divergent crop yield effects across the studies; (5) there is a publication bias of the research results between the English and Chinese literature; (6) the literature mainly sheds light on the short-run effect, and the long-run impact shall be an important research question in the future. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select ICT-based agricultural advisory services and nitrogen management practices: A case study of wheat production in China DING Ji-ping, LI Jing-han, LIU Jia-huan, ZHANG Wei-feng, JIA Xiang-ping 2022, 21 (6): 1799-1811.   DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63859-5 Abstract （230）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer in China and its adverse effects on agricultural production have been a national and global concern. In addition to massive public initiatives to promote sustainable farm practices, grass-rooted innovations are emerging in the niche, many of which take the forms of information and communication technologies (ICT) and digital services. This study examines the effects of ICT-based extension services provided by an entrepreneurial startup on adopting sustainable farming practices. We found no significant reduction in N-fertilizer use for wheat production. But the ICT-based services promoted farmers to adapt N-fertilizer use towards site-specific management. The business model of the entrepreneurial venture faces great challenges in becoming participatory and financially sustainable. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Explaining farmers’ reluctance to adopt green manure cover crops planting for sustainable agriculture in Northwest China Sheng-Han-Erin CHANG, YI Xiao-yan, Johannes SAUER, YIN Chang-bin, LI Fu-duo 2022, 21 (11): 3382-3394.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.09.005 Abstract （190）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Green manure cover crops (GMCCs) planting has a potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in agroecosystems and provides important ecosystem services, thereby achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stipulated by the United Nations.  However, the advantages of cultivating GMCCs on arable land are not widely recognized.  For example, in the whole of China, the GMCCs planting area is less than 3.5% of total arable land.  The aim of this study is to explore reasons for the low adoption rate of GMCCs planting.  Using best–worst scaling (BWS) approach, farmers ranked their preferred conservation practices including three types of GMCC cropping systems.  Taking Gansu Province in Northwest China as a case study, a survey with 276 farmers was conducted.  The findings indicated that three factors are related to the low adoption rate of GMCCs: 1) farmers preferred improving farmland irrigation facilities and substituting chemical fertilizers with organic rather than planting GMCCs; 2) lack of awareness and understanding of government policy on GMCCs and limited access to training courses; 3) financial support and subsidies from the government are insufficient.  This study provides insights and strategic implications for policymakers on how to further promote GMCCs in the future. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Commercial cash crop production and households’ economic welfare: Evidence from the pulse farmers in rural China MA Ji-liang, LI Fan, ZHANG Hui-jie, Khan NAWAB 2022, 21 (11): 3395-3407.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.09.006 Abstract （300）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Whether promoting cash crop production can increase household welfare has long been the focus of the food policy debate.  This study first investigated the determinants of household behavior in commercial pulse farming.  It then examined how households’ commercial pulse production improves their economic welfare.  We used a dataset of 848 households collected from 2018 to 2019 to estimate the determinants of household behavior in commercial pulse farming by the Heckman two-step model.  The endogenous treatment regression (ETR) method was employed to examine the impact of commercial pulse farming on household economic welfare.  The results showed that factors such as market purchase prices, agricultural technology services, farmers’ access to loans, and government subsidies promoted smallholders’ commercial pulse farming; production costs and perceptions of climate change risks constrained smallholders’ commercial pulse production.  Overall, commercial pulse production has increased household farm income but there was a limited impact on household off-farm income.  Our findings suggest that policies aiming to increase households’ cash crop production and market access could significantly improve the economic welfare of pulse farmers.Whether promoting cash crop production can increase household welfare has long been the focus of the food policy debate.  This study first investigated the determinants of household behavior in commercial pulse farming.  It then examined how households’ commercial pulse production improves their economic welfare.  We used a dataset of 848 households collected from 2018 to 2019 to estimate the determinants of household behavior in commercial pulse farming by the Heckman two-step model.  The endogenous treatment regression (ETR) method was employed to examine the impact of commercial pulse farming on household economic welfare.  The results showed that factors such as market purchase prices, agricultural technology services, farmers’ access to loans, and government subsidies promoted smallholders’ commercial pulse farming; production costs and perceptions of climate change risks constrained smallholders’ commercial pulse production.  Overall, commercial pulse production has increased household farm income but there was a limited impact on household off-farm income.  Our findings suggest that policies aiming to increase households’ cash crop production and market access could significantly improve the economic welfare of pulse farmers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Consumers’ experiences and preferences for plant-based meat food: Evidence from a choice experiment in four cities of China WANG Ge, Madison T PLASTER, Bai Yun-li, LIU Cheng-fang 2023, 22 (1): 306-319.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.09.008 Abstract （247）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This paper examined consumers’ experiences in and preferences for plant-based meat (PBM) food and their respective correlates, based on data from an online survey of 579 consumers in four major cities in China in early 2021.  We first described consumers’ experiences in consuming and purchasing PBM food and their correlates, and then analyzed consumer preferences using hypothetical choice experiment.  The experiment offered consumers various options to purchase burgers made from PBM or animal-based meat (ABM), combined with different countries of origin (COO), taste labels, and prices.  Our data showed that respondents hold overall positive attitudes toward PBM food; 85 and 82% of respondents reported experience in eating and purchasing PBM food, respectively.  More than half of them ate PBM food because they wanted to try new food (58%), or were interested in healthy food (56%).  Income, religion, and dietary restrictions were significantly correlated with consumers’ experiences in PBM food consumption.  Results from the Random Parameter Logit Model based on the hypothetical choice experiment data showed that 79% of respondents chose PBM burgers and were willing to pay an average of 88 CNY for a PBM burger.  We also found that 99.8 and 83% of respondents are willing to buy burgers made in China and those with a taste label, with a willingness to pay (WTP) of 208 and 120 CNY, respectively.  The heterogeneity test revealed that females and those with at least a bachelor’s degree, higher income, religious beliefs, and dietary restrictions are more likely to buy PBM burgers than their counterparts Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The mechanism and heterogeneity of environmental regulations’ impact on the technological progress of dairy farming LIU Hao, PENG Hua, LI Li-wang, DONG Xiao-xia 2022, 21 (10): 3067-3081.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.07.053 Abstract （110）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The study analyses the theoretical mechanism through which environmental regulation affects the dairy industry’s technological progress, with a particular focus on how the effect is conditional on farm size.  Using the input–output data of dairy farms of different sizes from 2009 to 2019 in 10 Chinese provinces/autonomous regions in China and the quantitative measurement index of environmental regulation, the study estimates environmental regulation’s heterogeneous influences on the dairy industry’s technological progress by dynamic panel data models.  The empirical results suggest that, first, environmental regulation has a U-type influence on the technological progress of dairy farming.  The U-type influence means moving from pollution control’s high cost and low technology progress to the high profit and high innovation input generated by optimizing the breeding structure.  Second, the promotion of dairy farming technology depends on farm size.  The effect of environmental regulation on technological progress in moderately large-farms showed a U-type relationship.  In contrast, the effect in free-range and large-size dairy farms showed a linear and positive relationship.  The government should further strengthen environmental regulation based on advancing moderately large-farms in compliance with market mechanisms in the long run.  Particular attention should be paid to the forms of environmental regulation so that dairy cattle breeding technology can break through the inflection point of the “U” curve as soon as possible and ensure the significance of the rising stage.  Along the way, technical support should be provided for realizing environmental protection and economic growth. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Spatial and temporal changes of paddy rice ecosystem services in China during the period 1980–2014 CHEN Zhong-du, LI Feng-bo, XU Chun-chun, JI Long, FENG Jin-fei, FANG Fu-ping 2022, 21 (10): 3082-3093.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.07.049 Abstract （129）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The ecological systems services or multi-functionality of paddy rice cultivation are critical to the functioning of the Earth’s life-support system.  We estimated the ecosystem services value (ESV) of paddy rice during 1980–2014 across China.  The results indicated that the ESV of the paddy field in China showed an upward trend during this period.  The share of ESV on CO2 sequestration was the highest, followed by ESV on temperature cooling and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission.  The yield-scaled ESVs of Zones II (southern rice–upland crops rotation regions) and III (southern double rice production regions) were similar and significantly higher than the ESVs of Zones I (northeastern single rice production regions) and IV (Southwest rice–upland crops rotation regions).  Between 1980 and 2014, the ESV of each region increased to varying degrees, except for the ESVs of Guangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong.  Such effects suggest the existence of a significant spatial–temporal variation in the total amount, structure, and density of ESV of paddy fields in China, which can further guide the development of future options for the adaptation of healthy rice production in China. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Farmers’ precision pesticide technology adoption and its influencing factors: Evidence from apple production areas in China YUE Meng, LI Wen-jing, JIN Shan, CHEN Jing, CHANG Qian, Glyn JONES, CAO Yi-ying, YANG Gui-jun, LI Zhen-hong, Lynn J. FREWER 2023, 22 (1): 292-305.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.11.002 Abstract （198）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The research aimed to understand farmers’ willingness to adopt (WTA) and willingness to pay (WTP) for precision pesticide technologies and analyzed the determinants of farmers’ decision-making.  We used a two-stage approach to consider farmers’ WTA and WTP for precision pesticide technologies.  A survey of 545 apple farmers was administered in Bohai Bay and the Loess Plateau in China.  The data were analyzed using the double-hurdle model.  The results indicated that 78.72% of respondents were willing to apply precision pesticide technologies provided by service organizations such as cooperatives and dedicated enterprises, and 69.72% were willing to buy the equipment for using precision pesticide technologies.  The results of the determinant analysis indicated that farmers’ perceived perceptions, farm scale, cooperative membership, access to digital information, and availability of financial services had significant and positive impacts on farmers’ WTA precision pesticide technologies.  Cooperative membership, technical training, and adherence to environmental regulations increased farmers’ WTP for precision pesticide technologies.  Moreover, nonlinear relationships between age, agricultural experience, and farmers’ WTA and WTP for precision pesticide technology services were found. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Optimal design of culling compensation policy under the African swine fever — Based on simulations of typical pig farms in China GUO Shi-juan, LÜ Xin-ye, HU Xiang-dong 2023, 22 (2): 611-622.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.12.001 Abstract （173）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This paper aims to optimize the culling compensation policy from a micro perspective through scenario simulation.  Based on an investigation of 273 pig farms in eight regions, four typical pig farms were constructed according to farm size and breeding mode, representing the swine producers in China.  Besides, a decision objective function of pig farms facing suspected African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks was constructed.  This study used a mathematical programming model to design and simulate scenarios based on compensation standards and local implementation levels, aiming to incentivize pig farms to report epidemics.  The results show that the optimal decisions on epidemic reports differed among typical farms and by herd daily age.  The results suggest the following adjustments for optimizing culling compensation policies: (1) to set culling compensation standards based on the market value and (2) to maintain a high level of epidemic surveillance capability in the animal husbandry and veterinary sector. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The role of time preferences in contract breach: Evidence from Chinese poultry farmers participating in contract farming HOU Jing, ZHOU Li, Jennifer IFFT, YING Rui-yao 2023, 22 (2): 623-641.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.12.013 Abstract （195）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Farmers’ contract breach behavior is cited as one of the major stumbling blocks in the sustainable expansion of contract farming in many developing countries.  This paper examines farmers’ contract breach decisions from the perspective of time preferences.  The empirical analysis is based on a household survey and economic field experiments of poultry households participating in contract farming conducted in Jiangsu Province, China.  A discounted utility model and a maximum likelihood technique are applied to estimate farmers’ time preferences and the effect of time preferences on contract breach in the production and sales phases are explored with a bivariate probit model.  The results show that, on average, the poultry farmers in the sample are generally present biased and impatient regarding future utility.  The regression results show that farmers with a higher preference for the present and a higher discount rate are more likely to breach contracts, and time preferences play a greater role in the production phase than in the sales phase.  When considering heterogeneity, specific investments and transaction costs promote contract stability only for farmers with a low degree of impatience.  Moreover, compared with large-scale farmers, small-scale farmers’ contract breach decisions are more significantly affected by their time preferences.  These results have implications for contract stability policies and other issues that are impacted by the linking of behavioral preferences to agricultural decisions. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Can food security and low carbon be achieved simultaneously? —An empirical analysis of the mechanisms influencing the carbon footprint of potato and corn cultivation in irrigation areas NIU Kunyu, GUO Hui, LIU Jing 2023, 22 (4): 1230-1243.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.02.010 Abstract （227）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Irrigated agriculture has tripled since 1950, accounting for 20% of the global arable land and 40% of food production.  Irrigated agriculture increases food security yet has controversial implications for global climate change.  Most previous studies have calculated carbon emissions and their composition in irrigated areas using the engineering approach to life-cycle assessment.  By combining life cycle assessment (LCA)-based carbon emissions accounting with econometric models such as multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM), we conducted an interdisciplinary study to identify the influencing factors and internal mechanisms of the carbon footprint (CFP) of smallholder crop cultivation on irrigation reform pilot areas.  To this end, we investigated corn and potato production data in the 2019–2020 crop years for 852 plots of 345 rural households in six villages (two irrigation agriculture pilot villages and four surrounding villages as controls) in Southwest China.  The crop CFP in the irrigation agriculture pilot areas was significantly lower than in non-reform areas.  Irrigation reforms mainly impacted the crop CFP through four intermediary effects: the project (implementation of field irrigation channels), technology (improving adoption of new irrigation technologies), management (proper irrigation operation and maintenance), and yield effects.  All effects inhibited the CFP, except for the project effect that promotes carbon emissions.  Among them, yield increase has the greatest impact on reducing CFP, followed by management and technology effects.  Furthermore, planting practices, individual characteristics, and plot quality significantly impacted the crop CFP.  This study has policy implications for understanding the food security–climate nexus in the food production industry. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Ensemble learning prediction of soybean yields in China based on meteorological data LI Qian-chuan, XU Shi-wei, ZHUANG Jia-yu, LIU Jia-jia, ZHOU Yi, ZHANG Ze-xi 2023, 22 (6): 1909-1927.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.02.011 Abstract （206）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The accurate prediction of soybean yield is of great significance for agricultural production, monitoring and early warning.  Although previous studies have used machine learning algorithms to predict soybean yield based on meteorological data, it is not clear how different models can be used to effectively separate soybean meteorological yield from soybean yield in various regions.  In addition, comprehensively integrating the advantages of various machine learning algorithms to improve the prediction accuracy through ensemble learning algorithms has not been studied in depth.  This study used and analyzed various daily meteorological data and soybean yield data from 173 county-level administrative regions and meteorological stations in two principal soybean planting areas in China (Northeast China and the Huang–Huai region), covering 34 years.  Three effective machine learning algorithms (K-nearest neighbor, random forest, and support vector regression) were adopted as the base-models to establish a high-precision and highly-reliable soybean meteorological yield prediction model based on the stacking ensemble learning framework.  The model’s generalizability was further improved through 5-fold cross-validation, and the model was optimized by principal component analysis and hyperparametric optimization.  The accuracy of the model was evaluated by using the five-year sliding prediction and four regression indicators of the 173 counties, which showed that the stacking model has higher accuracy and stronger robustness.  The 5-year sliding estimations of soybean yield based on the stacking model in 173 counties showed that the prediction effect can reflect the spatiotemporal distribution of soybean yield in detail, and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was less than 5%.  The stacking prediction model of soybean meteorological yield provides a new approach for accurately predicting soybean yield. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Water diversion and agricultural production: Evidence from China YANG Rui, XU Hang 2023, 22 (4): 1244-1257.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.03.006 Abstract （233）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Water diversion can alleviate water shortages caused by the uneven distribution of water resources.  China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWD) is the largest water diversion project worldwide.  Based on the prefecture-level data of China’s Huang-Huai-Hai Plain from 2000 to 2020, this study employs an empirical strategy of Differences-in-Differences (DID) to analyze the impact of SNWD on agricultural production.  The results show that SNWD has significantly increased agricultural production, measured by the agricultural value added.  The estimated results of the benchmark model remain robust when the contemporaneous policy is addressed, an alternative outcome is used, subsamples are estimated, and alternative estimation techniques are employed.  This study argues that the potential impact mechanism may be that SNWD significantly increases the acreage for cash crops but reduces that for grain crops.  Heterogeneity analysis shows that in prefectures with high temperature or land potential, SNWD’s impact on agricultural value added is relatively low.  In contrast, in areas with prolonged sunshine or high slopes, SNWD’s impact on agricultural value added is relatively large.  Given the low added value of grain crops, the government should consider strengthening food security by subsidizing water supply to sustain grain production. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Uncertainty aversion and farmers’ innovative seed adoption: Evidence from a field experiment in rural China WU Hai-xia, SONG Yan, YU Le-shan, GE Yan 2023, 22 (6): 1928-1944.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.04.004 Abstract （176）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Based on the microdata of 705 wheat farmers in the Loess Plateau, this study empirically analyzes the impact of uncertainty on farmers’ adoption of innovative seeds using a field experiment.  The results indicate that farmers are generally ambiguity-averse and risk-averse.  In addition, farmers with higher ambiguity aversion and risk aversion are less likely to adopt innovative wheat seeds, where their risk aversion plays a dominant role.  Enhancing information access will alleviate the negative influence of ambiguity aversion on farmers’ adoption of innovative seeds, and interlinked insurance and credit contracts will be beneficial to ease the adverse effect of risk aversion on the adoption of innovative wheat seeds.  Meanwhile, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the inhibitory effects of ambiguity aversion and risk aversion on innovative seed adoption are more significant among farmers with lower education and household income.  The government can establish both ex-ante and ex-post relevant guarantee mechanisms to help farmers preferably cope with various uncertainties in the production process, remitting farmers’ ambiguity aversion and risk aversion to enhance new agricultural technology adoption rates. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Asset specificity and farmers’ intergenerational succession willingness of apple management ZHANG Qiang-qiang, GAO Xi-xi, Nazir Muhammad ABDULLAHI, WANG Yue, HUO Xue-xi 2023, 22 (8): 2553-2566.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.04.016 Abstract （153）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Understanding the factors behind apple farmers’ willingness to pass on the management of their farms to their descendants is crucial to the continuity of apple production. Due to the high specificity of the human capital, physical assets, land assets, and geographical location in apple production, this study used a binary logistic regression and a mediating effect model to explore the impact of asset specificity on farmers’ intergenerational succession willingness of apple management (FISWAM) and to examine the mediating effects of loss aversion in the impact of asset specificity on the FISWAM. The results showed that about 18.68% of the respondents expressed willingness to transfer their apple business between generations, and the FISWAM was generally weak. In addition to the negative impact of geographical location specificity (GLS), human capital specificity (HCS), physical assets specificity (PAS), and land assets specificity (LAS) can enhance the FISWAM. Loss aversion plays a partial mediating role in the impact of PAS, LAS, and GLS on the FISWAM Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Does nature-based solution sustain grassland quality? Evidence from rotational grazing practice in China LI Dong-qing, ZHANG Ming-xue, LÜ Xin-xin, HOU Ling-ling 2023, 22 (8): 2567-2576.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.001 Abstract （229）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Rotational grazing is considered as one of the nature-based solutions (NbS) to grassland protection by natural scientists. However, its effects on improving grassland quality are still unclear when it is adopted by herders. Using a household-level panel data from field survey in two main pastoral provinces of China, empirical results from fixed-effect model and instrumental approach show that rotational grazing practices have insignificant short-term effects on grassland quality, but have positive long-term effects. In addition, rotational grazing practices can improve grassland quality when villages invest public infrastructure or herders have private supporting measures for more efficiency livestock production. Further analysis shows that herders adopting rotational grazing have higher grazing intensity, higher supplementary intensity and more livestock-house-feeding days, which indicate herders can utilize more efficient livestock management without increasing pressure on natural grassland. We also find that herders with pastoral income are more likely to adopt rotational grazing practice. These insightful findings offer policy implications on promoting grassroot NbS for ecosystem protection and resource utilization in developing pastoral countries. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Risk preferences and the low-carbon agricultural technology adoption: Evidence from rice production in China MAO Hui, QUAN Yu-Rong, FU Yong 2023, 22 (8): 2577-2590.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.07.002 Abstract （314）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Climate change which is mainly caused by carbon emissions is a global problem affecting the economic development and well-being of human society. Low-carbon agriculture is of particular significance in slowing down global warming and reaching the goal of “carbon peak and carbon neutrality”. Therefore, taking straw incorporation as an example, this paper aims to investigate the impact of risk preferences on farmers’ low-carbon agricultural technology (LCAT) adoption. Based on a two-phase micro-survey data of 1 038 rice farmers in Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces, this paper uses experimental economics methods to measure farmers’ risk aversion and loss aversion to obtain the real risk preferences information of the farmers. We also explore the data to examine the actual LCAT adoption behavior of farmers. The results revealed that both risk aversion and loss aversion significantly inhibit farmers’ LCAT adoption: more risk-averse or more loss-averse farmers are less likely to adopt LCAT. It is further found that crop insurance, farm scale and governmental regulations can alleviate the negative impact of risk aversion and loss aversion on farmers’ LCAT adoption. Therefore, we propose that local governments need to promote low-carbon agricultural development by propagating the benefits of LCAT, extending crop insurance, promoting appropriate scale operations, and strengthening governmental regulations to promote farmers’ LCAT adoption. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Are vulnerable farmers more easily influenced?  Heterogeneous effects of Internet use on the adoption of integrated pest management LI Kai, JIN Yu, ZHOU Jie-hong 2023, 22 (10): 3220-3233.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.08.005 Abstract （156）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The Internet is believed to bring more technological dividends to vulnerable farmers during the green agriculture transformation.  However, this is different from the theory of skill-biased technological change, which emphasizes that individuals with higher levels of human capital and more technological endowments benefit more.  This study investigates the effects of Internet use on farmers’ adoption of integrated pest management (IPM), theoretically and empirically, based on a dataset containing 1 015 farmers in China’s Shandong Province.  By exploring the perspective of rational inattention, the reasons for the heterogeneity of the effects across farmers with different endowments, i.e., education and land size, are analyzed.  The potential endogeneity issues are addressed using the endogenous switching probit model.  The results reveal that: (1) although Internet use significantly positively affects farmers’ adoption of IPM, vulnerable farmers do not benefit more from it.  Considerable selection bias leads to an overestimation of technological dividends for vulnerable farmers; (2) different sources of technology information lead to the difference in the degree of farmers’ rational inattention toward Internet information, which plays a crucial role in the heterogeneous effect of Internet use; and (3) excessive dependence on strong-tie social network information sources entraps vulnerable farmers in information cocoons, hindering their ability to reap the benefits of Internet use fully.  Therefore, it is essential to promote services geared towards elderly-oriented Internet agricultural technology information and encourage farmers with strong Internet utilization skills to share technology information with other farmers actively. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Influences of large-scale farming on carbon emissions from cropping: Evidence from China LI Ya-ling, YI Fu-jin, YUAN Chong-jun 2023, 22 (10): 3209-3219.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.08.006 Abstract （210）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Reducing agricultural carbon emissions is important to enable carbon emission peaking by 2030 in China.  However, China’s transformation towards large-scale farming brings uncertainties to carbon emission reduction.  This study quantifies the carbon emissions from cropping based on life cycle assessment and estimates the effects of farm size on carbon emissions using a fixed effects model.  Furthermore, the variations of the carbon emissions from cropping driven by the changes in farm size in future years are projected through scenario analysis.  Results demonstrate an inverted U-shaped change in total carbon emission from cropping as farm size increases, which is dominated by the changes in the carbon emission from fertilizer.  Projections illustrate that large-scale farming transformation will postpone the peak year of total carbon emission from cropping until 2048 if the change in farm size follows a historical trend, although it is conducive to reducing total carbon emission in the long run.  The findings indicate that environmental regulations to reduce fertilizer usages should be strengthened for carbon emission abatement in the early stage of large-scale farming transformation, which are also informative to other developing countries with small farm size. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Effects of formal credit on pastoral household expense: Evidence from the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau of China Yan Zhang, Yi Huang, Fan Zhang, Zeng Tang 2024, 23 (5): 1774-1785.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.08.013 Abstract （141）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Formal credit is critical in agricultural production, allowing more expenditure and productive input, thereby improving farmers’ welfare.  In pastoral China, formal financial institutions are gradually increasing.  However, a limited understanding remains of how formal credit affects herders’ household expenses.  Based on a survey of 544 herders from the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau of China, this study adopted the propensity score matching approach to identify the effect of formal credit on herders’ total household expenses, daily expenses, and productive expenses.  The results found that average age, grassland mortgage, and other variables significantly affected herders’ participation in formal credit.  Formal credit could significantly improve household expenses, especially productive expenses.  A heterogeneity analysis showed that formal credit had a greater impact on the household total expense for those at higher levels of wealth; however, it significantly affected the productive expense of herders at lower wealth levels.  Moreover, the mediating effect indicated that formal credit could affect herders’ household income, thus influencing their household expenses.  Finally, this study suggests that policies should improve herders’ accessibility to formal credit. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Can whole steps of grain production be outsourced?  Empirical analysis based on the three provinces of Jiangsu, Jilin, and Sichuan in China Jiacheng Liu, Shengzhi Mao, Qiufen Zheng, Zhigang Xu 2024, 23 (1): 336-347.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.09.034 Abstract （133）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Certain outsourcing services for agricultural management in China, such as pest control in grain production, have experienced prolonged sluggishness, contrasting with the relatively high level of outsourcing services observed in harvesting, land preparation, and sowing.  This study examines the feasibility of implementing whole-step outsourcing in grain production by conducting a case study of rice and maize production in Jiangsu, Jilin, and Sichuan provinces in China.  The provision of outsourcing services hinges on two essential conditions: technological advancements fostering specialized production and economies of scale, coupled with a market size sufficient to realize the aforementioned potential economies of scale.  The results showed that outsourcing pest control or harvesting services had varying economies of scale.  The outsourcing services in pest control were less common than in harvesting services, and their marginal growth space of the economies of scale with technological change was also smaller.  Determined by the operational characteristics of pest control itself, the market scale of its professional services is small.  Therefore, achieving the whole-step outsourcing of grain production necessitates not only technological innovation but also effective policy interventions to overcome the constraints of market scale.  Such interventions include (1) optimizing crop layouts between planning regions and reducing land fragmentation and (2) supplying timely and effective inter-regional agricultural information for service providers aided by information technology. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impacts of agri-food e-commerce on traditional wholesale industry: Evidence from China Ruyi Yang, Jifang Liu, Shanshan Cao, Wei Sun, Fantao Kong 2024, 23 (4): 1409-1428.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.020 Abstract （173）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Rapidly expanding studies investigate the effects of e-commerce on company operations in the retail market.  However, the interaction between agri-food e-commerce (AEC) and the traditional agri-food wholesale industry (AWI) has not received enough attention in the existing literature.  Based on the provincial panel data from 2013 to 2020 in China, this paper examines the effect of AEC on AWI, comprising three dimensions: digitalization (DIGITAL), agri-food e-commerce infrastructure and supporting services (AECI), and agri-food e-commerce economy (AECE).  First, AWI and AEC are measured using an entropy-based combination of indicators.  The results indicate that for China as a whole, AWI has remained practically unchanged, whereas AEC exhibits a significant rising trend.  Second, the findings of the fixed-effect regression reveal that DIGITAL and AECE tend to raise AWI, whereas AECI negatively affects AWI.  Third, threshold regression results indicate that AECI tends to diminish AWI with three-stage inhibitory intensity, which manifests as a first increase and then a drop in the inhibition degree.  These results suggest that with the introduction of e-commerce for agricultural product circulation, digital development will have catfish effects that tend to stimulate the vitality of the conventional wholesale industry and promote technical progress.  Furthermore, the traditional wholesale industry benefits financially from e-commerce even while it diverts part of the traditional wholesale circulation for agricultural products. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select How to enhance agricultural plastic waste management in China? Insights from public participation Aibo Hao, Thomas Dogot, Changbin Yin 2024, 23 (6): 2127-2143.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.033 Abstract （116）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Agricultural plastics play a pivotal role in agricultural production.  However, due to expensive costs, agricultural plastic waste management (APWM) encounters a vast funding gap.  As one of the crucial stakeholders, the public deserves to make appropriate efforts for APWM.  Accordingly, identifying whether the public is willing to pay for APWM and clarifying the decisions’ driving pathways to explore initiatives for promoting their payment intentions are essential to address the dilemma confronting APWM.  To this end, by applying the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB), the study conducted an empirical analysis based on 1,288 residents from four provinces (autonomous regions) of northern China.  Results illustrate that: 1) respondents hold generally positive and relatively strong payment willingness towards APWM; 2) respondents’ attitude (AT), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) are positively correlated with their payment intentions (INT); 3) environmental cognition (EC) and environmental emotion (EE) positively moderate the relationships between AT and INT, and between SN and INT, posing significant indirect impacts on INT.  The study’s implications extend to informing government policies, suggesting that multi-entity cooperation, specifically public payment for APWM, can enhance agricultural non-point waste management. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Temporal and spatial evolution of global major grain trade patterns Ziqi Yin, Jiaxuan Hu, Jing Zhang, Xiangyang Zhou, Lingling Li, Jianzhai Wu 2024, 23 (3): 1075-1086.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.10.032 Abstract （188）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The complex and volatile international landscape has significantly impacted global grain supply security.  This study uses a complex network analysis model to examine the evolution and trends of the global major grain trade from 1990 to 2020, focusing on network topology, centrality ranking, and community structure.  There are three major findings.  First, the global major grain trade network has expanded in scale, with a growing emphasis on diversification and balance.  During the study period, the United States, Canada, China, and Brazil were the core nodes of the network.  Grain-exporting countries were mainly situated in Asia, the Americas, and Europe, and importing countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.  Second, a significant increase in the number of high centrality countries with high export capacity occurred, benefiting from natural advantages such as fertile land and favorable climates.  Third, the main global grain trade network is divided into four communities, with the Americas-Europe community being the largest and most widespread.  The formation of the community pattern was influenced by geographic proximity, driven by the core exporting countries.  Therefore, the world needs to enhance the existing trade model, promote the multi-polarization of the grain trade network, and establish a global vision for the future community.  Countries and regions should participate actively in global grain trade security governance and institutional reform, expand trade links with other countries, and optimize import and export policies to reduce trade risks. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Promoting grain production through high-standard farmland construction: Evidence in China Shuai Hao, Guogang Wang, Yantao Yang, Sicheng Zhao, Shengnan Huang, Liping Liu, Huanhuan Zhang 2024, 23 (1): 324-335.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.021 Abstract （239）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Food security is a strategic priority for a country’s economic development.  In China, high-standard farmland construction (HSFC) is an important initiative to stabilize grain production and increase grain production capacity.  Based on panel data from 31 sample provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China from 2005–2017, this study explored the impact of HSFC on grain yield using the difference-in-differences (DID) method.  The results showed that HSFC significantly increased total grain production, which is robust to various checks.  HSFC increased grain yield through three potential mechanisms.  First, it could increase the grain replanting index.  Second, it could effectively reduce yield loss due to droughts and floods.  Last, HSFC could strengthen the cultivated land by renovating the low- and medium-yielding fields.  Heterogeneity analysis found that the HSFC farmland showed a significant increase in grain yield only in the main grain-producing areas and balanced areas.  In addition, HSFC significantly increased the yields of rice, wheat, and maize while leading to a reduction in soybean yields.  The findings suggest the government should continue to promote HSFC, improve construction standards, and strictly control the “non-agriculturalization” and “non-coordination” of farmland to increase grain production further.  At the same time, market mechanisms should be used to incentivize soybean farming, improve returns and stabilize soybean yields. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impacts of information about COVID-19 on pig farmers’ production willingness and behavior: Evidence from China Huan Chen, Lei Mao, Yuehua Zhang 2024, 23 (4): 1429-1441.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.034 Abstract （83）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This paper examines the impacts of information about COVID-19 on pig farmers’ production willingness by using endorsement experiments and follow-up surveys conducted in 2020 and 2021 in China.  Our results show that, first, farmers were less willing to scale up production when they received information about COVID-19.  The information in 2020 that the second wave of COVID-19 might occur without a vaccine reduced farmers’ willingness to scale up by 13.4%, while the information in 2021 that COVID-19 might continue to spread despite the introduction of vaccine reduced farmers’ willingness by 4.4%.  Second, farmers whose production was affected by COVID-19 were considerably less willing to scale up, given the access to COVID-19 information.  Third, farmers’ production willingness can predict their actual production behavior. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Does Green Food Certification promote agri-food export quality?  Evidence from China Ping Wei, Hongman Liu, Chaokai Xu, Shibin Wen 2024, 23 (3): 1061-1074.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.11.033 Abstract （171）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The construction of a food certification system plays a vital role in upgrading export quality, which previous studies have largely overlooked.  We match China’s industry-level data of Green Food Certification with its HS6-digit export data of agri-food products to quantify the impact of Green Food Certification on export quality.  We identify the significant and positive effect of Green Food Certification on export quality.  The 2SLS estimation based on instrumental variables and a range of robustness checks confirm the validity and robustness of the benchmark conclusions.  Further analysis discloses that Green Food Certification improves export quality by raising agricultural production efficiency and brand premiums.  Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of Green Food Certification varies across regions, notably improving the quality of agri-food products exported to developed regions and regions with high levels of import supervision.  Furthermore, among various product types, Green Food Certification significantly improves the export quality of primary products and products vulnerable to non-tariff measures.  The above findings could guide the future development of agri-food quality certification systems, potentially leading to a transformation and promotion of the agri-food trade. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Central Asia: Evidence from rural Tajikistan Yuhan Zhao, Chen Qian, Yumei Zhang, Xiande Li, Kamiljon T. Akramov 2024, 23 (8): 2853-2867.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.001 Abstract （98）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Food security has been long understudied in the context of Central Asia.  We present an analysis examining household-level food demand for Tajikistan and assessing the magnitude of its food security changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Based on an extensive household survey data set from Tajikistan, we estimate the expenditure, income, and price elasticities for nine food categories using the QUAIDS model.  Then, we develop a microsimulation model using the estimated elasticities to assess the dual impact of declining remittance income and rising food prices stemming from the pandemic shock.  There are significant differences in demand elasticities across food groups, with high elasticities observed for nutritious foods, such as meat, fruit, eggs, and milk, in rural households.  Moreover, our findings show that changes in remittance income and food prices significantly negatively affected food security for rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic.  These findings have important implications for policymakers concerned about rural livelihoods and food security in remittance-receiving economies during the post-pandemic period. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The potential impact of increased whole grain consumption among Chinese adults on reducing healthcare costs and carbon footprint Xin Zhang, Jingjing Wang, Fuli Tan, Haixiu Gao, Shenggen Fan 2024, 23 (8): 2842-2852.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.12.006 Abstract （83）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Excessive consumption of refined grains harms human health and ecosystem viability.  Whole grains, as a healthy and sustainable alternative to refined grains, can benefit individual health by providing dietary fiber, B vitamins, and bioactive substances.  Additionally, they aid in improving the environment due to their higher extraction rate and lower carbon emission during the processing stage.  However, few studies have attempted to evaluate the economic and social benefits of increasing the amount of whole grain in grain intake.  This paper estimates the potential savings in healthcare costs and reduced food carbon footprints (CFs) that could result from a shift toward whole grain consumption following the Chinese Dietary Guidelines (CDG).  We investigate hypothetical scenarios where a certain proportion (5–100%) of Chinese adults could increase their whole grain intakes as proposed by CDG to meet the average shortfall of 30.2 g.  In that case, the healthcare costs for associated diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and colorectal cancer (CRC)) are expected to reduce by a substantial amount, from USD 2.82 to 56.37 billion; the carbon emission levels are also projected to decrease by 0.24–5.72 million tons.  This study provides compelling evidence that advocating for the transition towards greater consumption of whole grain products could benefit individual health, the environment, and society, by reducing both healthcare costs and carbon emissions.   Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select The multiple roles of crop structural change in productivity, nutrition and environment in China: A decomposition analysis Xiangyang Zhang, Yumei Zhang, Shenggen Fan 2024, 23 (5): 1763-1773.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.03.064 Abstract （103）      PDF in ScienceDirect       China’s crop structure has undergone significant changes in the last two decades since 2000, with an increase in the share of cereals, vegetables, and fruit, squeezing out other crops.  As a result, land productivity, nutrient supply, and carbon emissions have changed.  How to reallocate limited farmland among crops to achieve the multiple goals of agrifood systems becomes an important issue.  This study explores the sources of land productivity and nutrition supply growth and carbon emissions reduction, and identifies the multiple roles of crop structural change from 2003 to 2020 based on a decomposition analysis.  The results reveal that the growth within crops is still the primary driver in land productivity and nutrition supply and the reduction in carbon emissions.  However, structural change also plays various roles at different periods.  From 2003 to 2010, crop structural change increased the total calorie supply but lowered land productivity and contributed at least 70% of the total growth of carbon emissions.  The crop structure was relatively stable, and their effects were modest from 2010 to 2015.  From 2015 to 2020, the crop structural change began to play a greater role and generate synergistic effects in improving land productivity, micronutrient supply, and reducing carbon emissions, contributing to approximately a quarter of the growth of land productivity and 30% of total carbon emissions reduction.  These results suggest that strategies for crop structural change should comprehensively consider its multiple impacts, aiming to achieve co-benefits while minimizing trade-offs. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Are gender inclusiveness and rural transformation interlinked?  The case of Bangladesh Maria Fay Rola-Rubzen, Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Jon Marx Sarmiento, Ismat Ara Begum, Al Amin Al Abbasi, Subrata Saha 2024, 23 (6): 2112-2126.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.04.009 Abstract （72）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Gender inclusiveness is important in the rural transformation process of Bangladesh as rural women play key roles in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.  Gender inclusiveness also leads to gender equity.  We empirically evaluate relationships between rural transformation and gender inclusiveness in Bangladesh.  We consider three rural transformation indicators: high-value commodities’ share in agricultural output values, non-farm employment’s share in rural labor employment, and non-agricultural GDP’s share in total GDP.  Indicators capturing gender inclusiveness include the per capita rural income of males and females, ratio of investments into gender programs, female access to education, access to healthcare, employment participation, land ownership, and asset ownership.  We test the effect of the difference in per capita rural income of males and females and the ratio of their incomes and check for the robustness of the gender variables across different model specifications.  Analyzing 128 district-level observations from 32 districts of Bangladesh across four time periods (2000, 2005, 2010 and 2016), we use both ordinary least squares and fixed effects panel regression models.  We find that female land and asset ownership and access to education and healthcare are robust determinants of various stages of rural transformation.  Thus, our results suggest that improving women’s ownership of land and assets and investing in women’s education and healthcare will likely contribute to a more inclusive rural transformation. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Dual carbon goal and agriculture in China: Exploring key factors influencing farmers’ behavior in adopting low carbon technologies Jinpeng Zou, Lulin Shen, Fang Wang, Hong Tang, Ziyang Zhou 2024, 23 (9): 3215-3233.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.016 Abstract （124）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Identifying the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of low-carbon technologies (FA) and understanding their impacts are essential for shaping effective agricultural policies amied at emission reduction and carbon sequestration in China.  This study employs a meta-analysis of 122 empirical studies, delves into 23 driving factors affecting FA and addresses the inconsistencies present in the existing literature.  We systematically examine the effect size, source of heterogeneity, and time-accumulation effect of the driving factors on FA.  We find that significant heterogeneity in the factors influencing FA, except for farming experience, sources of heterogeneity from the survey zone, methodology model, technological attributes, report source, financial support, and the sampling year.  Additionally, age, farming experience, and adoption cost negatively correlate with FA.  In contrast, educational level, health status, technical training, economic and welfare cognition, land contract, soil quality, terrain, information accessibility, demonstration, government promotion, government regulation, government support, agricultural cooperatives member, peer effect, and agricultural income ratio demonstrate a positive correlation.  Especially, demonstration and age show a particularly strong correlation.  Finally, the effect of demonstration, age, economic and welfare cognition, farming experience, land contract, soil quality, information accessibility, government promotion, and support, as well as agricultural cooperative membership and peer effects on FA, are generally stable but exhibit varying degrees of attenuation over time.  The effect of village cadre, family income, farm scale, gender, health status, technical training, and off-farm work on FA show notable temporal shifts and maintain a weak correlation with FA.  This study contributes to shaping China’s current low-carbon agriculture policies across various regions.  It encourages policymakers to comprehensively consider the stability of key factors, other potential factors, technological attributes, rural socio-economic context, and their interrelations. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Rural labor migration and farmers’ arrangements of rice production systems in Central China: Insight from the intergenerational division of labor Xue Shen, Quanyu Yang, Rongjun Ao, Shengsheng Gong 2024, 23 (9): 3200-3214.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.07.042 Abstract （96）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Rice production is crucial for food security in China, and its relationship with rural labor migration has been studied extensively.  Labor migration in rural China has taken new forms in recent years.  There has been a discernible trend wherein adult children have started migrating to cities while their elderly parents return to villages to re-engage in on-farm work.  The phenomenon has notably shaped the intergenerational division of labor (IDL) within households.  However, it remains to be seen how farmers adjust their rice production systems in response to the IDL.  The age of 60 years for employment injury insurance is the eligibility threshold for off-farm employment and is used to obtain a source of exogenous variation in the IDL.  Based on a representative household survey of 1,752 rice farmers in the Hubei Province of Central China, our fuzzy regression discontinuity analysis reveals that farmers in IDL households are more likely to adopt ratoon rice (RR) than single cropping rice (SR) or double cropping rice (DR).  The effect of the IDL varies under different levels of operational scales and specialized agricultural service availability.  Further analysis suggests that farmers’ arrangements are associated with two potential mechanisms of downward intergenerational transfer.  Monetary transfer for urban housing purchases increases RR in IDL households, and time transfer for intergenerational childcare significantly promotes SR in IDL households.  This study enhances the understanding of the relationship between rural labor migration and rice production in China, providing a reference for adjusting rice production systems to ensure food security. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Factors affecting farmers’ choice to adopt risk management strategies: The application of multivariate and multinomial probit models Jamal Shah, Majed Alharthi 2024, 23 (12): 4250-4262.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.10.004 Abstract （93）      PDF in ScienceDirect       This study investigates the factors that impact farmers’ adoption of risk management strategies (RMS) in Pakistan during times of uncertainty.  The study examines farmers’ adoption of RMS using both multinomial probit (MNP) and multivariate probit (MVP).  Data were collected from 382 farmers sampled from four districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan via a multistage sampling technique.  This study utilizes the MNP model, considering the assumption of Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) and incorporating correlated error terms.  The objective is to understand farmers’ behavior in risky situations and determine if there is heterogeneity.  Results are compared with the MVP model to assess robustness and gain deeper understanding of farmers’ decision-making processes.  The research findings reveal that our results are robust, and farmers behave homogeneously in various RMS scenarios.  Farmers adopt RMS individually or in combination to mitigate the adverse effects of natural calamities on their livelihood.  The risk-averse farmers, who perceive weather-related risks as a threat, access credits and information, and have farms close to a river are more likely to adopt RMS, irrespective of the format of the strategies available.  Moreover, the predicted probabilities and correlation of the RMS and RM categories have strengthened our model estimation.  These findings provide insights into the behavior of farmers in adopting RMS which are helpful for policymakers and stakeholders in developing strategies to mitigate the impacts of natural calamities on farmers. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages in China: By volume or sugar content?  A consumer welfare approach Tianchang Zhai, Jingjing Wang, Lei Li, Wei Si 2024, 23 (12): 4237-4249.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.10.006 Abstract （61）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Using scanner data on the consumption of packaged liquid beverages by Chinese urban households, we estimated the price elasticity of various beverages and compared the effects of volume-based versus sugar-content-based taxation strategies on consumer welfare.  Compared to the volume-based tax, the sugar-content-based beverage tax was predicted to cost less in compensating variation under the same amount of sugar reduced, indicating that taxation based on sugar content may be more efficient in preserving consumer welfare.  Further comparison across different socioeconomic groups reveals that, given current beverage consumption status in China, the efficiency advantage of the sugar-content-based taxation strategy is more pronounced than that of the volume-based taxation.  Our conclusions can provide insights for the food industry and the government to reduce the sugar content in beverages. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Impact of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) implementation on agricultural sector in regional countries: A global value chain perspective Shaowen Xu, Jingfei Qian, Yangfen Chen, Huijie Zhang 2025, 24 (1): 380-397.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.11.035 Abstract （57）      PDF in ScienceDirect       The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has created favorable conditions for building deeply integrated agricultural value chains (AVC) in Asia-Pacific.  Based on the RCEP agreement, this study employed the global trade analysis project (GTAP) model to evaluate the impact of RCEP on AVC of member countries in terms of time, tariff reduction, and reduction of non-tariff barriers (NTB).  The results indicate that (1) the implementation of RCEP boosts the value-added to agricultural exports for most member countries, particularly in competitive industries; (2) the increase in domestic production and processing capacity, reflected in domestic value-added (DVA), is the primary factor driving the rise in the value-added of agricultural exports across various industries of member countries; (3) RCEP enhances the participation of most regional countries in AVC, with varying impacts on AVC positioning, thereby fostering regional AVC development; and (4) RCEP has a positive effect on AVC indicators both in the short and long term, with the effect becoming more pronounced over time.  Additionally, reducing NTB enhances the positive effects of tariff reductions on AVC indicators.  Based on the analyses, the following recommendations are proposed: (1) Leverage the development opportunities arising from RCEP implementation to enhance the agricultural DVA; (2) capitalize on cooperative opportunities created by RCEP to build cohesive regional AVC; and (3) prioritize the effective implementation of RCEP’s high-quality rules. Reference | Related Articles | Metrics Select Herders’ willingness to accept compensation for grassland grazing ban in Northwest China Huifang Liu, Lingling Hou, Zhibiao Nan, Jikun Huang, Liufang Su 2025, 24 (1): 366-379.   DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2024.11.036 Abstract （30）      PDF in ScienceDirect       Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) has been widely acknowledged as an effective tool for mitigating grassland degradation and enhancing ecosystem services provision.  However, critical factors, such as herders’ willingness to accept (WTA) preferences and compensation expectations, are often overlooked, leading to insufficient effectiveness of PES initiatives.  This study focused on grassland ecological compensation policy (GECP), quantifying herders’ WTA compensation for grassland grazing bans.  Through face-to-face surveys and employing the contingent valuation method, we estimated households’ WTA for participating in a grassland conservation program to bolster ecosystem service provision.  Our findings indicated that herders required an average compensation of 237 CNY mu–1 yr–1 to engage in the grazing ban program.  Notably, herders’ environmental awareness positively influenced their willingness to participate, whereas larger family sizes were negatively correlated with WTA.  Additionally, herders in better health, with higher livestock incomes or categorized as semi-herders, tended to accept lower compensation levels.  These insights are crucial for improving the effectiveness of GECP and provide valuable reference points for similar analyses in economically disadvantaged and ecologically fragile regions. 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