IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v226y2025ics0308521x25000472.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Unveiling the influence of agricultural mechanization on greenhouse gas emission intensity: Insights from China using causal machine learning model

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Lulu
  • Lyu, Jie
  • Wang, Shanshan
  • Zhang, Junyan

Abstract

The ongoing agricultural mechanization in China contributes considerably to increased efficiency and productivity. However, its mitigation potential of greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHGI) and underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Debate regarding the influence of agricultural mechanization on GHGI is gaining significance to guarantee that agricultural modernization corresponds with sustainable development goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Lulu & Lyu, Jie & Wang, Shanshan & Zhang, Junyan, 2025. "Unveiling the influence of agricultural mechanization on greenhouse gas emission intensity: Insights from China using causal machine learning model," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:226:y:2025:i:c:s0308521x25000472
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104307
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X25000472
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104307?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Victor Chernozhukov & Denis Chetverikov & Mert Demirer & Esther Duflo & Christian Hansen & Whitney Newey & James Robins, 2018. "Double/debiased machine learning for treatment and structural parameters," Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 21(1), pages 1-68, February.
    2. Xiaoshi Zhou & Wanglin Ma & Gucheng Li & Huanguang Qiu, 2020. "Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(4), pages 1282-1307, October.
    3. Zhenling Cui & Hongyan Zhang & Xinping Chen & Chaochun Zhang & Wenqi Ma & Chengdong Huang & Weifeng Zhang & Guohua Mi & Yuxin Miao & Xiaolin Li & Qiang Gao & Jianchang Yang & Zhaohui Wang & Youliang Y, 2018. "Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers," Nature, Nature, vol. 555(7696), pages 363-366, March.
    4. Wang, Xiaobing & Yamauchi, Futoshi & Otsuka, Keijiro & Huang, Jikun, 2016. "Wage Growth, Landholding, and Mechanization in Chinese Agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 30-45.
    5. Zhang, Xiaobo & Yang, Jin & Reardon, Thomas, 2020. "Mechanization outsourcing clusters and division of labor in Chinese agriculture," IFPRI book chapters, in: An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?, chapter 2, pages 71-96, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Qian, Long & Lu, Hua & Gao, Qiang & Lu, Hualiang, 2022. "Household-owned farm machinery vs. outsourced machinery services: The impact of agricultural mechanization on the land leasing behavior of relatively large-scale farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    7. Zhou, Xiaoshi & Ma, Wanglin & Li, Gucheng & Qiu, Huanguang, 2020. "Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(04), January.
    8. Xiaoming Guo & Sen Huang & Yu Wang, 2020. "Influence of Agricultural Mechanization Development on Agricultural Green Transformation in Western China, Based on the ML Index and Spatial Panel Model," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2020, pages 1-17, August.
    9. Yi Qing & Moyu Chen & Yu Sheng & Jikun Huang, 2019. "Mechanization services, farm productivity and institutional innovation in China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(3), pages 536-554, June.
    10. Zheng, Linyi, 2024. "Big hands holding small hands: The role of new agricultural operating entities in farmland abandonment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    11. Helmut Farbmacher & Martin Huber & Lukáš Lafférs & Henrika Langen & Martin Spindler, 2022. "Causal mediation analysis with double machine learning [Mediation analysis via potential outcomes models]," The Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 25(2), pages 277-300.
    12. Cui, Simeng & Adamowski, Jan F. & Albano, Raffaele & Wu, Mengyang & Cao, Xinchun, 2024. "Optimal resource reallocation can achieve water conservation, emissions reduction, and improve irrigated agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    13. Chang-Tai Hsieh & Peter J. Klenow, 2009. "Misallocation and Manufacturing TFP in China and India," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(4), pages 1403-1448.
    14. David Laborde & Abdullah Mamun & Will Martin & Valeria Piñeiro & Rob Vos, 2021. "Agricultural subsidies and global greenhouse gas emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    15. Meng Meng & Leng Yu & Xiaohua Yu, 2024. "Machinery structure, machinery subsidies, and agricultural productivity: Evidence from China," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(2), pages 223-246, March.
    16. A. Belloni & V. Chernozhukov & I. Fernández‐Val & C. Hansen, 2017. "Program Evaluation and Causal Inference With High‐Dimensional Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 85, pages 233-298, January.
    17. Klasen, Stephan & Meyer, Katrin M. & Dislich, Claudia & Euler, Michael & Faust, Heiko & Gatto, Marcel & Hettig, Elisabeth & Melati, Dian N. & Jaya, I. Nengah Surati & Otten, Fenna & Pérez-Cruzado, Cés, 2016. "Economic and ecological trade-offs of agricultural specialization at different spatial scales," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 111-120.
    18. Yanbing Wang & Michael S. Delgado & Juan Sesmero & Benjamin M. Gramig, 2020. "Market Structure and the Local Effects of Ethanol Expansion on Land Allocation: A Spatially Explicit Analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(5), pages 1598-1622, October.
    19. Philipp Bach & Victor Chernozhukov & Malte S. Kurz & Martin Spindler & Sven Klaassen, 2021. "DoubleML -- An Object-Oriented Implementation of Double Machine Learning in R," Papers 2103.09603, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2024.
    20. Qinhang Xu & Peixin Zhu & Liang Tang, 2022. "Agricultural Services: Another Way of Farmland Utilization and Its Effect on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, July.
    21. Aryal, Jeetendra Prakash & Rahut, Dil Bahadur & Thapa, Ganesh & Simtowe, Franklin, 2021. "Mechanisation of small-scale farms in South Asia: Empirical evidence derived from farm households survey," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    22. Lulu Wang & Jie Lyu & Junyan Zhang, 2024. "Explicating the Role of Agricultural Socialized Services on Chemical Fertilizer Use Reduction: Evidence from China Using a Double Machine Learning Model," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-16, November.
    23. Mohammed, Kamaldeen & Batung, Evans & Saaka, Sulemana Ansumah & Kansanga, Moses Mosonsieyiri & Luginaah, Isaac, 2023. "Determinants of mechanized technology adoption in smallholder agriculture: Implications for agricultural policy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    24. Guanqiu Yin & Xia Xu & Huilan Piao & Jie Lyu, 2024. "The synergy effect of agricultural dual-scale management on farmers' income: evidence from rural China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(3), pages 591-607, May.
    25. Jan Esper & Max Torbenson & Ulf Büntgen, 2024. "2023 summer warmth unparalleled over the past 2,000 years," Nature, Nature, vol. 631(8019), pages 94-97, July.
    26. Feng, Yanchao & Liu, Gaoxiang & Meng, Xiangxu & Jiang, Kai & Huang, Rongbing & Zhang, Ci & Shi, Jiaxin & Pan, Yuxi, 2024. "How does digital government affect carbon intensity at the global level? New perspective of resource allocation optimization," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    27. Yang, Jui-Chung & Chuang, Hui-Ching & Kuan, Chung-Ming, 2020. "Double machine learning with gradient boosting and its application to the Big N audit quality effect," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 216(1), pages 268-283.
    28. Stephen F. Hamilton & Timothy J. Richards & Aric P. Shafran & Kathryn N. Vasilaky, 2022. "Farm labor productivity and the impact of mechanization," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(4), pages 1435-1459, August.
    29. Cheng, Zhonghua & Li, Lianshui & Liu, Jun, 2018. "Industrial structure, technical progress and carbon intensity in China's provinces," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2935-2946.
    30. Jiandong Chen & Ming Gao & Ke Ma & Malin Song, 2020. "Different effects of technological progress on China's carbon emissions based on sustainable development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 481-492, February.
    31. Yan Xu & Jie Lyu & Dandan Yuan & Guanqiu Yin & Junyan Zhang, 2025. "The Impact of Agricultural Machinery Services on Food Loss at the Producer Level: Evidence from China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, January.
    32. Eelco T. C. Vogt & Bert M. Weckhuysen, 2024. "The refinery of the future," Nature, Nature, vol. 629(8011), pages 295-306, May.
    33. Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Hatzenbuehler, Patrick L. & Edeh, Hyacinth O., 2020. "Effects of agricultural mechanization on economies of scope in crop production in Nigeria," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    34. Wang, Xiaobing & Yamauchi, Futoshi & Huang, Jikun & Rozelle, Scott, 2020. "What constrains mechanization in Chinese agriculture? Role of farm size and fragmentation," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    35. Yi Qing & Moyu Chen & Yu Sheng & Jikun Huang, 2019. "Mechanization services, farm productivity and institutional innovation in China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(3), pages 536-554, June.
    36. Meili Huan & Fengxia Dong & Liang Chi, 2022. "Mechanization services, factor allocation, and farm efficiency: Evidence from China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 1618-1639, August.
    37. Wanglin Ma & Zhongkun Zhu & Xiaoshi Zhou, 2022. "Agricultural mechanization and cropland abandonment in rural China," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(6), pages 526-533, March.
    38. Li, Bo & Gao, Yuting, 2024. "Impact and transmission mechanism of digital economy on agricultural energy carbon emission reduction," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    39. Van Loon, Jelle & Woltering, Lennart & Krupnik, Timothy J. & Baudron, Frédéric & Boa, Maria & Govaerts, Bram, 2020. "Scaling agricultural mechanization services in smallholder farming systems: Case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    40. Yin, Guanqiu & You, Yuxuan & Han, Xiaoyan & Chen, Di, 2024. "The effect of agricultural scale management on farmers' income from a dual-scale perspective: Evidence from rural China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meng, Meng & Zhang, Wuke & Zhu, Xi & Shi, Qinghua, 2024. "Agricultural mechanization and rural worker mobility: Evidence from the Agricultural Machinery Purchase Subsidies programme in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    2. Meng Meng & Leng Yu & Xiaohua Yu, 2024. "Machinery structure, machinery subsidies, and agricultural productivity: Evidence from China," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(2), pages 223-246, March.
    3. Wangda Liao & Fusheng Zeng & Meseret Chanieabate, 2022. "Mechanization of Small-Scale Agriculture in China: Lessons for Enhancing Smallholder Access to Agricultural Machinery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Liu, Yan & Heerink, Nico & Li, Fan & Shi, Xiaoping, 2022. "Do agricultural machinery services promote village farmland rental markets? Theory and evidence from a case study in the North China plain," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    5. Yin, Guanqiu & You, Yuxuan & Han, Xiaoyan & Chen, Di, 2024. "The effect of agricultural scale management on farmers' income from a dual-scale perspective: Evidence from rural China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    6. Xu, Dingde & Liu, Yi & Li, Yichao & Liu, Shaoquan & Liu, Guihua, 2024. "Effect of farmland scale on agricultural green production technology adoption: Evidence from rice farmers in Jiangsu Province, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    7. Xiuhao Quan & Reiner Doluschitz, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agricultural Machinery by Chinese Maize Farmers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-11, November.
    8. Zakia Batool & Qurat ul Ain & Abdul Rehman, 2024. "Exploring the effects of farm mechanization, financial development, and renewable energy on China’s food production," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(7), pages 18883-18902, July.
    9. Adane Tufa & Arega Alene & Hambulo Ngoma & Paswel Marenya & Julius Manda & Md Abdul Matin & Christian Thierfelder & David Chikoye, 2024. "Willingness to pay for agricultural mechanization services by smallholder farmers in Malawi," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(1), pages 248-276, January.
    10. Belton, Ben & Win, Myat Thida & Zhang, Xiaobo & Filipski, Mateusz, 2021. "The rapid rise of agricultural mechanization in Myanmar," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    11. Xuelan Li & Rui Guan, 2023. "How Does Agricultural Mechanization Service Affect Agricultural Green Transformation in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-23, January.
    12. Xi Yu & Xiyang Yin & Yuying Liu & Dongmei Li, 2021. "Do Agricultural Machinery Services Facilitate Land Transfer? Evidence from Rice Farmers in Sichuan Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-14, April.
    13. Yingzheng Yan & Liupeng Chen & Ziwei Zhou & Yuanzhu Wei, 2025. "Digital financial inclusion and agricultural modernization development in China—a study based on the perspective of agricultural mechanization services," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Qian, Long & Lu, Hua & Gao, Qiang & Lu, Hualiang, 2022. "Household-owned farm machinery vs. outsourced machinery services: The impact of agricultural mechanization on the land leasing behavior of relatively large-scale farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    15. Ben Belton & Peixun Fang & Thomas Reardon, 2025. "Combine harvester outsourcing services and seasonal rural non‐farm employment in Myanmar," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(1), pages 97-124, March.
    16. Jonathan Fuhr & Philipp Berens & Dominik Papies, 2024. "Estimating Causal Effects with Double Machine Learning -- A Method Evaluation," Papers 2403.14385, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2024.
    17. Ma, Wanglin & Zhou, Xiaoshi & Boansi, David & Horlu, Godwin Seyram Agbemavor & Owusu, Victor, 2024. "Adoption and intensity of agricultural mechanization and their impact on non-farm employment of rural women," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    18. Zhou, Xiaoshi & Ma, Wanglin, 2021. "Effects of Agricultural Mechanization on Land Productivity: Evidence from China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315143, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Xiaoshi Zhou & Wanglin Ma & Gucheng Li & Huanguang Qiu, 2020. "Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(4), pages 1282-1307, October.
    20. Liu, Xinyue & Wang, Xiaobing & Xu, Zhigang, 2023. "The polarization and constraints of scale farming in China under the impact of rising wages," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:226:y:2025:i:c:s0308521x25000472. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.