Empowering Rural Development: Evidence from China on the Impact of Digital Village Construction on Farmland Scale Operation

• Published in: Land (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 7; p. 903
• Main Authors: Zhao, Shaoyang, Li, Mengxue, Cao, Xiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Access to information; Agribusiness; Agricultural development; Agricultural engineering; Agricultural industry; Agricultural land; Agricultural production; agricultural productivity; Agriculture; Artificial intelligence; Big Data; Case studies; Cloud computing; Construction; Developing countries; Digital technology; digital village construction; Economic growth; Efficiency; Electronic commerce; Empowerment; Endowment; Farmers; farmland scale operation; Farms; Food security; inclusive growth; Industrial development; Internet; LDCs; Modernization; Poverty; Productivity; Project management; Rural areas; Rural development; Villages; China
• ISSN: 2073-445X; 2073-445X
• DOI: 10.3390/land13070903

In the global context of rural development in developing countries, the integration of digital technology into agriculture has emerged as a pivotal strategy for modernizing rural areas and boosting agricultural productivity. A focal point of policy initiatives, digital village construction aims to harness digital technology to empower rural development. Despite widespread recognition of its potential benefits for agricultural development, empirical evidence on its specific impacts, particularly on farmland scale operation, remains scarce. This study investigates the relationship between digital village construction and farmland scale operation in China, leveraging data from Sichuan Province’s rural revitalization strategy and Peking University’s Digital Village Index. Our analysis reveals a significant enhancement in farmland scale operation, particularly in non-poverty and non-border villages, after addressing potential endogeneity in the estimation. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that digital village construction drives scaled operation and management through improved agricultural production efficiency, the establishment of agricultural industry systems, and the advancement of agricultural engineering projects. However, its impact varies across village types, underscoring potential disparities in rural development. These findings suggest that continued investment in digital village construction is essential to stimulate rural development, focusing on leveraging digital technologies to enhance agricultural productivity and providing targeted support for remote and underserved rural areas to bridge the digital gap and foster inclusive growth.