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Spin-Offs, Innovation Spillover and the Formation of Agricultural Clusters: The Case of the Vegetable Cluster in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, China

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  • Erling Li

    (Key Research Institute of Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development & Collaborative Innovation Center on Yellow River Civilization of Henan Province, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
    Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Institute of Sustainable Development in Agriculture and Rural Area, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China)

  • Yanan Xu

    (College of Resources and Environment, Henan University of Economics and Law, Zhengzhou 450046, China)

  • Shixin Ren

    (Business School, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China)

  • Jay Lee

    (Department of Geography, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA)

Abstract

Agricultural clusters play a powerful role in promoting the agricultural transformation and rejuvenation of rural areas. However, no in-depth exploration has been made on how agricultural clusters form and evolve, especially in the context of China’s long-term small-scale rural economy. The purpose of this article is to reveal the formation process and evolution mechanism of agricultural clusters by case study research. With the knowledge flow as the starting point, this article takes the Vegetable Cluster in Shouguang City of Shandong Province, China as an example to construct a theoretical framework in the three dimensions of points (spin-offs of enterprises or farmers), lines (network-spillovers of various innovation) and planes (the formation of new regional industry spaces) and put forward theoretical hypotheses. It is shown that: (1) The local spin-off of seed farmers is the main path in the transformation of traditional farmers into enterprises. (2) The network-spillover and adoption of innovative knowledge promote the derivation of specialized farmers or enterprises and realize regional agricultural specialization and spatial agglomeration. (3) The formation of the agricultural cluster resulted from the joint effects of spin-off derived from the entrepreneurial spirit of the farmers, network-spillover of various agricultural innovations and spatial integration of the agricultural landscape. The formation of local agricultural innovation systems marks the maturity of an agricultural cluster. This article contribute to the field by studying one source of Alfred Marshall’s knowledge of external economy from the perspective of spin-offs and innovative spillovers, analyzing the agricultural increasing returns to scale neglected by Krugman, and exploring the micro mechanism of farmers’ enterprise-oriented evolution and the formation of agricultural clusters in underdeveloped rural areas. The research results are of profound referential significance for the cultivation of agricultural clusters in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Erling Li & Yanan Xu & Shixin Ren & Jay Lee, 2022. "Spin-Offs, Innovation Spillover and the Formation of Agricultural Clusters: The Case of the Vegetable Cluster in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-18, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:2:p:279-:d:747552
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jiabin Han & Wenbin Wei & Wenting Ge & Shuyun Liu & Yixiu Chou, 2025. "Digital Technology and Agricultural Production Agglomeration: Mechanisms, Spatial Spillovers, and Heterogeneous Effects in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-23, May.
    2. Sun, Yong & Miao, Yiling & Xie, Zhiju & Wu, Runtian, 2024. "Drivers and barriers to digital transformation in agriculture: An evolutionary game analysis based on the experience of China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 221(C).
    3. Yang Yang & Shishuai Ge & Xianzhong Cao & Gang Zeng, 2022. "Evolutionary Mechanisms of Ecological Agriculture Innovation Systems: Evidence from Chongming Eco-Island, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Dong Han & Jiajun Qiao & Qiankun Zhu & Jie Xiao & Yuling Ma, 2022. "Endogenous Driving Forces in Ecology-Production-Living Space Changes at Micro-Scale: A Mountain Town Example in Inland China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-30, December.
    5. Wenbin Cao & Xiaoyu Tao, 2025. "A Study on the Evolutionary Game of the Four-Party Agricultural Product Supply Chain Based on Collaborative Governance and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-24, February.
    6. Gabriel, Andreas & Bitsch, Vera, 2022. "Everywhere the same? Competitiveness of two regional vegetable production clusters in Southern Germany," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 26(01), August.

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