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Environmental Regulation, Urban-Rural Income Gap and Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity

Author

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  • Guoqun Ma

    (School of Economic & Management, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541006, China
    Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt Development Institute, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China)

  • Danyang Lv

    (School of Economic & Management, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541006, China)

  • Yuxi Luo

    (School of Economic & Management, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541006, China
    Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt Development Institute, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China
    Guangxi Key Laboratory of Landscape Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization in Lijiang River Basin, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China)

  • Tuanbiao Jiang

    (School of Economic & Management, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541006, China
    Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt Development Institute, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China
    Center for Southwest Urban and Regional Development, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China)

Abstract

Environmental regulation is the basis for achieving green agricultural development, and urban-rural integration is the key to optimizing the allocation of agricultural elements and achieving sustainable agricultural development. This paper aims to investigate the spatial spillover effect of environmental regulation on China’s agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) and examine the mediating effect of the urban-rural income gap. Both the Super-SBM-DEA model and the Global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index are used to account for the AGTFP of China’s 30 provinces, and the spatial Durbin model and the mediating effect model are used to analyze the impact of environmental regulation. We found that firstly, during the sample period, China’s AGTFP has increased with an average annual growth rate of 3.27%, which is mainly promoted by agricultural green technology progress (AGTC). Secondly, both the direct and spatial effects of environmental regulation on AGTFP show a significant “U”-shaped feature and have regional heterogeneity based on differences in economic development levels and factor endowments. Thirdly, there is an “inverted U”-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and the urban-rural income gap, and the urban-rural income gap negatively affects AGTFP. Based on the empirical results, we propose that the Chinese government should pay attention to green technology innovation, break the market segmentation, promote urban-rural integration, and then promote the AGTFP.

Suggested Citation

  • Guoqun Ma & Danyang Lv & Yuxi Luo & Tuanbiao Jiang, 2022. "Environmental Regulation, Urban-Rural Income Gap and Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:8995-:d:869012
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    5. Jiamin Liu & Xiaoyu Ma & Wenli Jia & Sisi Zhang, 2022. "Can New-Type Urbanization Construction Narrow the Urban–Rural Income Gap? Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-25, November.

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