IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0347210.html

Can agricultural digitalization improve agricultural export quality?

Author

Listed:
  • Zhichao Jiang
  • Xiaorun Wang
  • Pengling Liu

Abstract

In the context of an evolving international trade landscape, agricultural digitalization represents a critical pathway for enhancing agricultural export quality (AEQ) and accelerating the development of a modern agricultural powerhouse. Using panel data from 34 provincial administrative regions in China from 2001 to 2024, this study constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for agricultural digitalization and conducts a multidimensional analysis employing an individual, time two-way fixed effects model, a mediation effects model, and a moderation effects model. The results indicate that: (1) agricultural digitalization significantly promotes improvements in AEQ, and this conclusion remains robust after addressing endogeneity concerns and conducting a series of robustness tests; (2) accelerating agricultural technological progress, improving the level of agricultural human capital, and enhancing agricultural logistics efficiency constitute important transmission pathways through which agricultural digitalization affects AEQ; (3) the effect of agricultural digitalization on AEQ exhibits multidimensional heterogeneity, with stronger marginal effects observed in eastern regions, major grain-producing areas, and regions with higher levels of marketization; and (4) policy support and market openness play significant moderating roles in the relationship between agricultural digitalization and AEQ. Based on these findings, this study proposes several policy recommendations, including accelerating the development of agricultural digitalization, promoting agricultural technological progress, and establishing a scientific and regionally tailored agricultural digital system that reflects local conditions. These recommendations provide a scientific basis for policymaking aimed at leveraging agricultural digitalization to enhance AEQ.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhichao Jiang & Xiaorun Wang & Pengling Liu, 2026. "Can agricultural digitalization improve agricultural export quality?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(5), pages 1-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0347210
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347210
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0347210
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0347210&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0347210?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pramila Crivelli & Jasmin Groeschl, 2016. "The Impact of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on Market Entry and Trade Flows," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 444-473, March.
    2. Ricardo Hausmann & Jason Hwang & Dani Rodrik, 2007. "What you export matters," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, March.
    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. Matthias Firgo & Fabian Gabelberger & Andreas Reinstaller & Yvonne Wolfmayr, 2024. "Assessing Regional Production Potential to Strengthen the Security of Supply in Strategic Products," WIFO Working Papers 670, WIFO.
    2. Michele Peruzzi & Alessio Terzi, 2018. "Growth Accelerations Strategies," Growth Lab Working Papers 112, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    3. Dennis, Allen & Shepherd, Ben, 2007. "Trade costs, barriers to entry, and export diversification in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4368, The World Bank.
    4. Robert Z. Lawrence & Lawrence Edward, 2010. "Do Developed and Developing Countries Compete Head to Head in High Tech?," Working Paper Series WP10-8, Peterson Institute for International Economics.
    5. International Monetary Fund, 2015. "Central and Eastern Europe: New Member States (NMS) Policy Forum, 2014, Selected Issues Paper," IMF Staff Country Reports 2015/098, International Monetary Fund.
    6. Pedro Moncarz & Marcelo Olarreaga & Marcel Vaillant, 2016. "Regionalism as Industrial Policy: Evidence from MERCOSUR," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(1), pages 359-373, February.
    7. Bahar, Dany & Rosenow, Samuel & Stein, Ernesto & Wagner, Rodrigo, 2019. "Export take-offs and acceleration: Unpacking cross-sector linkages in the evolution of comparative advantage," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 48-60.
    8. Ronald V Kalafsky & William Graves, 2023. "Global connections from the second-tier: The trade performance of smaller southern US cities," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 38(5), pages 443-459, August.
    9. Florent Silve & Alexander Plekhanov, 2018. "Institutions, innovation and growth : Evidence from industry data," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 26(3), pages 335-362, July.
    10. Lord, Montague, 2015. "Regional Economic Integration in Central Asia and South Asia," MPRA Paper 66436, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Hailu, Degol & Kipgen, Chinpihoi, 2017. "The Extractives Dependence Index (EDI)," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 251-264.
    12. Vladimir Popov, 2009. "Why the West Became Rich before China and Why China Has Been Catching Up with the West since 1949: nother Explanation of the “Great Divergence” and “Great Convergence” Stories," Working Papers w0132, New Economic School (NES).
    13. Naima Chrid & Sami Saafi & Mohamed Chakroun, 2021. "Export Upgrading and Economic Growth: a Panel Cointegration and Causality Analysis," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(2), pages 811-841, June.
    14. Stephan Huber, 2018. "Product Sophistication and Spillovers from Foreign Direct Investment," Contributions to Economics, in: Product Characteristics in International Economics, chapter 0, pages 51-90, Springer.
    15. Gideon Ndubuisi & Solomon Owusu, 2021. "How important is GVC participation to export upgrading?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(10), pages 2887-2908, October.
    16. Lansana Bangoura & Diadié Diaw & Karim Barkat, 2013. "Does North-South trade favors training effects : What to learn from trade sophistication links?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 33(4), pages 2763-2777.
    17. Kjersti Nes & K. Aleks Schaefer, 2022. "Retaliatory use of public standards in trade," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(1), pages 142-161, January.
    18. Kuroiwa, Ikuo, 2014. "Value added trade and structure of high-technology exports in China," IDE Discussion Papers 449, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).
    19. Dam, Alje van & Frenken, Koen, 2022. "Variety, complexity and economic development," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(8).
    20. Sanjib Pohit & Sanjukta Basu, 2012. "High Technology Merchandise Exports: Where does India Stand?," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 13(2), pages 183-206, September.

    More about this item

    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:plo:pone00:0347210. 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: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    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.