IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v312y2025ics0378377425001507.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How does farmer differentiation effect agricultural water use efficiency? Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Chang, Ming
  • Shi, Hongxu
  • Yuan, Shiya
  • Chen, Kelin
  • Zhang, Xueyan
  • Zhang, Jinhao

Abstract

Farmer differentiation is a prevalent phenomenon in developing countries, such as China, which is expected to have a profound effect on rural collective actions, especially in the realm of agricultural irrigation. Despite this, few studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of farmer differentiation on agricultural water utilization. This research utilizes China's provincial panel data to construct indicators of farmer differentiation and agricultural water use efficiency through the entropy method and super-efficient DEA, and investigate how farmer differentiation affects agricultural water use efficiency. Our findings reveal a significant negative effect of farmer differentiation on overall agricultural water use efficiency. Mechanism analysis indicates that inadequate facility management has a negative mediating effect between farmer differentiation and agricultural water use efficiency, while large-scale grain crop production has a positive mediating effect. Additionally, the investment in small farmland water conservancy and central investment have a positive moderating effect. Notably, when the proportion of investment in maintenance of farmland water conservancy exceeds a certain threshold, the negative impact of farmer differentiation on agricultural water use efficiency can be eliminated. This study provides targeted recommendations on how to improve agricultural water use efficiency in the current situation of farmer differentiation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Ming & Shi, Hongxu & Yuan, Shiya & Chen, Kelin & Zhang, Xueyan & Zhang, Jinhao, 2025. "How does farmer differentiation effect agricultural water use efficiency? Evidence from China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:312:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425001507
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109436
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425001507
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109436?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Acheampong, Alex O. & Boateng, Elliot & Amponsah, Mary & Dzator, Janet, 2021. "Revisiting the economic growth–energy consumption nexus: Does globalization matter?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    2. Hansen, Bruce E., 1999. "Threshold effects in non-dynamic panels: Estimation, testing, and inference," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 345-368, December.
    3. Yuan, Yuan & Wang, Mingshu & Zhu, Yi & Huang, Xianjin & Xiong, Xuefeng, 2020. "Urbanization’s effects on the urban-rural income gap in China: A meta-regression analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    4. Weinan Lu & Apurbo Sarkar & Mengyang Hou & Wenxin Liu & Xinyi Guo & Kai Zhao & Minjuan Zhao, 2022. "The Impacts of Urbanization to Improve Agriculture Water Use Efficiency—An Empirical Analysis Based on Spatial Perspective of Panel Data of 30 Provinces of China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, January.
    5. Siyu Yang & Wei Li, 2023. "The Impact of Socialized Agricultural Machinery Services on the Labor Transfer of Maize Growers," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, June.
    6. Roberts, Anna M. & Pannell, David J. & Doole, Graeme & Vigiak, Olga, 2012. "Agricultural land management strategies to reduce phosphorus loads in the Gippsland Lakes, Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 106(1), pages 11-22.
    7. Rogers, Sarah & Wilmsen, Brooke & Han, Xiao & Wang, Zoe Ju-Han & Duan, Yuefang & He, Jun & Li, Jie & Lin, Wanlong & Wong, Christine, 2021. "Scaling up agriculture? The dynamics of land transfer in inland China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    8. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    9. Deininger, Klaus & Jin, Songqing, 2005. "The potential of land rental markets in the process of economic development: Evidence from China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 241-270, October.
    10. Tang, Jianjun & Folmer, Henk & Xue, Jianhong, 2015. "Technical and allocative efficiency of irrigation water use in the Guanzhong Plain, China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 43-52.
    11. Wang, Yahua & Chen, Chunliang & Araral, Eduardo, 2016. "The Effects of Migration on Collective Action in the Commons: Evidence from Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 79-93.
    12. Bardhan, Pranab & Ghatak, Maitreesh & Karaivanov, Alexander, 2007. "Wealth inequality and collective action," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(9), pages 1843-1874, September.
    13. Loureiro, Dália & Beceiro, Paula & Moreira, Madalena & Arranja, Carina & Cordeiro, Diana & Alegre, Helena, 2023. "A comprehensive performance assessment system for diagnosis and decision-support to improve water and energy efficiency and its demonstration in Portuguese collective irrigation systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    14. Gbemisola Oseni & Paul Winters, 2009. "Rural nonfarm activities and agricultural crop production in Nigeria," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(2), pages 189-201, March.
    15. Shah, Wasi Ul Hassan & Hao, Gang & Yasmeen, Rizwana & Yan, Hong & Shen, Jintao & Lu, Yuting, 2023. "Role of China's agricultural water policy reforms and production technology heterogeneity on agriculture water usage efficiency and total factor productivity change," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    16. Mallik, Girijasankar & Shankar, Sriram, 2016. "Does prior knowledge of economics and higher level mathematics improve student learning in principles of economics?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 66-73.
    17. Rahul Roy & Santhakumar Shijin, 2018. "A six-factor asset pricing model," Post-Print hal-01878923, HAL.
    18. Li, Fang & Feng, Shuyi & Lu, Hualiang & Qu, Futian & D’Haese, Marijke, 2021. "How do non-farm employment and agricultural mechanization impact on large-scale farming? A spatial panel data analysis from Jiangsu Province, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    19. Rahul Roy & Santhakumar Shijin, 2018. "A six-factor asset pricing model," Papers 1810.07790, arXiv.org.
    20. van der Sluis, Theo & Pedroli, Bas & Kristensen, Søren B.P. & Lavinia Cosor, Georgia & Pavlis, Evangelos, 2016. "Changing land use intensity in Europe – Recent processes in selected case studies," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 777-785.
    21. Yin, Ning & Huang, Qiuqiong & Wang, Yumeng, 2018. "Impacts of off-farm employment on groundwater irrigation in North China," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(2), pages 161-183, April.
    22. Bajaj, Akshi & Singh, S.P. & Nayak, Diptimayee, 2022. "Impact of water markets on equity and efficiency in irrigation water use: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    23. Chebil, Ali & Soula, Rania & Souissi, Asma & Bennouna, Bechir, 2022. "Efficiency, valuation, and pricing of irrigation water in northeastern Tunisia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    24. Rahul Roy & Santhakumar Shijin, 2018. "A six-factor asset pricing model," Borsa Istanbul Review, Research and Business Development Department, Borsa Istanbul, vol. 18(3), pages 205-217, September.
    25. Liangzhen Zang & Yahua Wang & Yiqing Su, 2021. "Does Farmland Scale Management Promote Rural Collective Action? An Empirical Study of Canal Irrigation Systems in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-25, November.
    26. Laureti, Tiziana & Benedetti, Ilaria & Branca, Giacomo, 2021. "Water use efficiency and public goods conservation: A spatial stochastic frontier model applied to irrigation in Southern Italy," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    27. Nazari, Bijan & Liaghat, Abdolmajid & Akbari, Mohammad Reza & Keshavarz, Marzieh, 2018. "Irrigation water management in Iran: Implications for water use efficiency improvement," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 7-18.
    28. Siyang Zhang & Xianxiong Xie & Minjuan Zhao, 2021. "Asset Specificity on the Intention of Farmers to Continue Land Recuperation: Based on the Perspective of Farmer Differentiation," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    29. Mittenzwei, Klaus & Persson, Tomas & Höglind, Mats & Kværnø, Sigrun, 2017. "Combined effects of climate change and policy uncertainty on the agricultural sector in Norway," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 118-126.
    30. Fearon, James D. & Laitin, David D., 1996. "Explaining Interethnic Cooperation," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 90(4), pages 715-735, December.
    31. Distefano, Tiziano & Kelly, Scott, 2017. "Are we in deep water? Water scarcity and its limits to economic growth," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 130-147.
    32. Tian, Guiliang & Wu, Xuan & Zhao, Qiuya & Li, Jiawen & Zhu, Mengqiu, 2024. "The impact of integrated agricultural water pricing reform on farmers' income in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(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. Zhao, Congyu & Dong, Kangyin & Jiang, Hong-Dian & Wang, Kun & Dong, Xiucheng, 2023. "How does energy poverty eradication realize the path to carbon unlocking? The case of China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Zhao, Congyu & Wang, Jianda & Dong, Kangyin & Wang, Kun, 2023. "How does renewable energy encourage carbon unlocking? A global case for decarbonization," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. Uddin, Ajim & Yu, Dantong, 2020. "Latent factor model for asset pricing," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    4. 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).
    5. Ruili Sun & Tiefeng Ma & Shuangzhe Liu & Milind Sathye, 2019. "Improved Covariance Matrix Estimation for Portfolio Risk Measurement: A Review," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-34, March.
    6. Claudia Florensia & Neneng Susanti, 2020. "How does the six-factor model do in explaining the relationship between return and risk on the Indonesia stock exchange?," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 9(7), pages 93-107, December.
    7. Güler ARAS & İlhan ÇAM & Bilal ZAVALSIZ & Serkan KESKİN, 2018. "Fama-French Çok Faktör Varlık Fiyatlama Modellerinin Performanslarının Karşılaştırılması: Borsa İstanbul Üzerine Bir Uygulama," Istanbul Business Research, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 47(2), pages 183-207, November.
    8. Muhammad Sali Maheen, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on the performance of emerging market mutual funds: evidence from India," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Roy, Rahul & Shijin, Santhakumar, 2022. "The saving, human wealth and asset pricing nexus: Evidence from around the world," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(2).
    10. Naffa, Helena & Fain, Máté, 2022. "A factor approach to the performance of ESG leaders and laggards," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    11. Li, Linfei & Khan, Sufyan Ullah & Guo, Chenhao & Huang, Yanfen & Xia, Xianli, 2022. "Non-agricultural labor transfer, factor allocation and farmland yield: Evidence from the part-time peasants in Loess Plateau region of Northwest China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    12. Ruofan Liao & Zhengtao Chen & Jirakom Sirisrisakulchai & Jianxu Liu, 2025. "Enhancing Rural Economic Sustainability in China Through Agricultural Socialization Services: A Novel Perspective on Spatial-Temporal Dynamics," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-28, January.
    13. Wenjun Guo & Wei Zhao & Min Min, 2022. "Operation Scale, Transfer Experience, and Farmers’ Willingness toward Farmland Transfer-In: A Case Study of Rice–Crayfish Cultivating Regions in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    14. Chia-Lin Chang & Thanchanok Khamkaew & Michael McAleer, 2012. "IV Estimation of a Panel Threshold Model of Tourism Specialization and Economic Development," Tourism Economics, , vol. 18(1), pages 5-41, February.
    15. Samargandi, Nahla & Fidrmuc, Jan & Ghosh, Sugata, 2015. "Is the Relationship Between Financial Development and Economic Growth Monotonic? Evidence from a Sample of Middle-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 66-81.
    16. Zhang, Xiaobei & Wang, Xiaojun, 2021. "Measures of human capital and the mechanics of economic growth," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    17. Jincai Zhao & Yiyao Wang & Xiufeng Zhang & Qianxi Liu, 2022. "Industrial and Agricultural Water Use Efficiency and Influencing Factors in the Process of Urbanization in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yellow River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, August.
    18. Olivier Damette & Mathilde Maurel & Michael A. Stemmer, 2016. "What does it take to grow out of recession? An error-correction approach towards growth convergence of European and transition countries," Post-Print halshs-01318131, HAL.
    19. Zhang, Fengtai & Xiao, Yuedong & Gao, Lei & Ma, Dalai & Su, Ruiqi & Yang, Qing, 2022. "How agricultural water use efficiency varies in China—A spatial-temporal analysis considering unexpected outputs," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    20. Cristina JUDE & Grégory LEVIEUGE, 2013. "Growth Effect of FDI in Developing Economies: the Role of Institutional Quality," LEO Working Papers / DR LEO 2251, Orleans Economics Laboratory / Laboratoire d'Economie d'Orleans (LEO), University of Orleans.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:agiwat:v:312:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425001507. 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/agwat .

    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.