IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v15y2025i3p252-d1575941.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of High-Standard Farmland Construction (HSFC) Policy on Green Agricultural Development (GAD): Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Huawei Zheng

    (School of Marxism, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
    School of Humanities and Social Development, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Ziqi Yuan

    (School of Humanities and Social Development, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Yuan Li

    (School of Humanities and Social Development, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Yanqiang Du

    (School of Public Administration, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

Abstract

Studying the policy effectiveness and impact process of the high-standard farmland construction (HSFC) on the green agricultural development (GAD) provides reference for sustainable development of agriculture. Based on the quasi experimental conditions for the sub regional promotion of China’ s HSFC policy and making use of the balanced panel data from 2004 to 2022 in China, this article diagnoses the level and evolution characteristics of GAD in China, empirically tests the effects of the China’s HSFC policy on the GAD level by the continuous difference-in-differences (DID) model, and then further analyzes the mediating roles of horizontal agricultural production division and land management scale efficiency. The research results indicate that (1) the GAD level of China continues to improve form 2004 to 2022; (2) the HSFC policy has been positively influencing the GAD level, and has gone through a significance level test of 0.01; (3) further study reveals that the HSFC policy promotes the GAD level primarily through the agricultural green technology progress (AGTP) and the agricultural green efficiency change (AGEC), with the AGTP being the main contributor; and (4) the HSFC policy positively influences the GAD level by enhancing horizontal agricultural production division and land management scale efficiency. To improve the level of GAD, it is essential to continuously optimize policy for the HSFC, promote the AGTP and the improvement of the AGEC, and effectively improve the horizontal agricultural production division level and land management scale efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Huawei Zheng & Ziqi Yuan & Yuan Li & Yanqiang Du, 2025. "The Impact of High-Standard Farmland Construction (HSFC) Policy on Green Agricultural Development (GAD): Evidence from China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-23, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:252-:d:1575941
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/3/252/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/3/252/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Changhong Chen & Huijie Zhang, 2023. "Evaluation of Green Development Level of Mianyang Agriculture, Based on the Entropy Weight Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-22, May.
    2. Jinkuan Yu & Yao Sun & Feng Wei, 2024. "Green Development of Chinese Agriculture from the Perspective of Bidirectional Correlation," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, September.
    3. Wang, Xiang & Shao, Shuai & Li, Ling, 2019. "Agricultural inputs, urbanization, and urban-rural income disparity: Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 67-84.
    4. Xiayire Xiaokaiti & Hongli Zhang & Nan Jia, 2024. "The Impacts and Spatial Characteristics of High-Standard Farmland Construction on Agricultural Carbon Productivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-19, February.
    5. Yuhan Zhang & Xu Zhang & Wangyue Zhou & Jianfu Li & Zhenlin Weng & Xueping Gao, 2024. "The Impact of and Mechanism behind High-Standard Farmland Construction in Farmland Abandonment: A Moderated Mediating Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, June.
    6. Hongyun Tan & Xiaolie Qi, 2023. "Synergistic Interconstruction of the Green Development Concept in Chinese Rural Ecological Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-17, February.
    7. Rong Xu & Yating Zhan & Jialan Zhang & Qiang He & Kuan Zhang & Dingde Xu & Yanbin Qi & Xin Deng, 2022. "Does Construction of High-Standard Farmland Improve Recycle Behavior of Agricultural Film? Evidence from Sichuan, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-14, October.
    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. Feng Zhou & Chunhui Wen, 2023. "Research on the Level of Agricultural Green Development, Regional Disparities, and Dynamic Distribution Evolution in China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-47, July.
    2. Dan Pan & Jinlong Zhou & Yi Yu & Shengdong Chen, 2024. "Rural Collective Property Rights System Reform and Urban-Rural Income Gap: A County-Scale Big Data Analysis in China," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(3), pages 21582440241, August.
    3. Li, Mengxu & Liu, Jianghua & Chen, Yang & Yang, Zhijiu, 2023. "Can sustainable development strategy reduce income inequality in resource-based regions? A natural resource dependence perspective," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    4. Shuai Qin & Hong Chen & Tuyen Thi Tran & Haokun Wang, 2022. "Analysis of the Spatial Effect of Capital Misallocation on Agricultural Output—Taking the Main Grain Producing Areas in Northeast China as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    5. Jinkai Li & Jueying Chen & Heguang Liu, 2021. "Sustainable Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and Its Spatial Relationship with Urbanization in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Elvis Dze Achuo & Tii N. Nchofoung & Simplice A. Asongu & Gildas Dohba Dinga, 2021. "Unravelling the Mysteries of Underdevelopment in Africa," Research Africa Network Working Papers 21/073, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    7. Rosangela de Araújo Santos & Eduardo Oliveira Teles & Francisco Gaudêncio Mendonça Freires, 2024. "Applying the Circular Economy Framework to Blockchain Agricultural Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Liang, Longwu & Chen, Mingxing & Zhang, Xiaoping & Sun, Mingxing, 2024. "Understanding changes in household carbon footprint during rapid urbanization in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    9. Baležentis, Tomas & Li, Tianxiang & Chen, Xueli, 2021. "Has agricultural labor restructuring improved agricultural labor productivity in China? A decomposition approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Mengyi Cui & Ruonan Wang & Wei Ji & Fengtian Zheng, 2025. "The Non-Linear Impact of Highway Improvements on the Urban–Rural Income Gap in Underdeveloped Regions: A Mixed-Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-32, February.
    11. Changhong Chen & Yule Wang, 2025. "Research on the Mechanisms and Pathways of Digital Economy—Driven Agricultural Green Development: Evidence from Sichuan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-21, July.
    12. Xiejun Cheng & Min Zhang & Jiayi Xu & Jingrong Xu & Decai Tang, 2023. "Research on the Impact of Sustainable Urbanization on Urban Rural Income Disparity in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-12, March.
    13. Huang, Jie & Lu, Hongyang & Du, Minzhe, 2025. "Can digital economy narrow the regional economic gap? Evidence from China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    14. Huang, Ruting & Yao, Xin, 2023. "The role of power transmission infrastructure in income inequality: Fresh evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    15. Ligang Lyu & Zhoubing Gao & Hualou Long & Xiaorui Wang & Yeting Fan, 2021. "Farmland Use Transition in a Typical Farming Area: The Case of Sihong County in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, March.
    16. Yuting Xu & Yitian Lin & Hong Yang & Guoliang Xu & Chao Cheng, 2025. "The Influence of Rural Land Transfer on Rural Households’ Income: A Case Study in Anhui Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-21, January.
    17. Jianxu Liu & Xiaoqing Li & Shutong Liu & Sanzidur Rahman & Songsak Sriboonchitta, 2022. "Addressing Rural–Urban Income Gap in China through Farmers’ Education and Agricultural Productivity Growth via Mediation and Interaction Effects," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-23, November.
    18. Zhou, Yang & Li, Xunhuan & Liu, Yansui, 2020. "Rural land system reforms in China: History, issues, measures and prospects," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Chen, Na & Yang, Huan, 2024. "From rural to urban: Clan, urbanization and trust," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    20. Zhenhua Zheng & Linquan Chen & Ning Sun & Yilin Jin & Yuetong Wang, 2024. "Pollution, hazards, and health inequalities: a longitudinal exploration of the impact of PM2.5 on depression among rural older adults with different incomes in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.

    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:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:252-:d:1575941. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.