IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v89y2019ics0264837719302819.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does Internet use help reduce rural cropland abandonment? Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Deng, Xin
  • Xu, Dingde
  • Zeng, Miao
  • Qi, Yanbin

Abstract

Currently, food and nutrition insecurity remains a major problem for developing countries. Reducing cropland abandonment is one of the keys to ensuring food security. Thus, this study employs survey data from 8031 farm households in 27 provinces in rural China and builds a theoretical analytical framework of “information and communication technology (ICT) → farm household → land use” under the guidance of information economics theory. Furthermore, this study explores the quantitative impacts of the Internet use of farm households on cropland abandonment using an endogenous switching regression (ESR). The results reveal the following: (1) regarding spatial distribution, there is an opposite trend of spatial area aggregation between the Internet use of farm households and cropland abandonment; (2) regarding a quantitative relationship, Internet use can help reduce farm households’ cropland abandonment by 43.20%; and (3) Internet use has heterogeneous impacts on cropland abandonment in different groups. The results of this study may link ICT and land use change and provide a new reference for developing countries to ensure food and nutrition security.

Suggested Citation

  • Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde & Zeng, Miao & Qi, Yanbin, 2019. "Does Internet use help reduce rural cropland abandonment? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:89:y:2019:i:c:s0264837719302819
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104243
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837719302819
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104243?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert T. Jensen & Nolan H. Miller, 2018. "Market Integration, Demand and the Growth of Firms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India," Working Papers id:12824, eSocialSciences.
    2. Aker, Jenny C. & Ksoll, Christopher, 2016. "Can mobile phones improve agricultural outcomes? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Niger," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 44-51.
    3. Xianqing Ji & Zhonghao Qian & Linxiu Zhang & Tonglong Zhang, 2018. "Rural Labor Migration and Households' Land Rental Behavior: Evidence from China," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 26(1), pages 66-85, January.
    4. Stark, Oded & Bloom, David E, 1985. "The New Economics of Labor Migration," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 173-178, May.
    5. Robert T. Jensen & Nolan H. Miller, 2018. "Market Integration, Demand and the Growth of Firms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India," NBER Working Papers 24693, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. 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.
    7. Zhang, Xiaobo & Yang, Jin & Reardon, Thomas, 2020. "Mechanization outsourcing clusters and division of labor in Chinese agriculture," IFPRI book chapters, in: An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?, chapter 2, pages 71-96, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Kelsey L. Conley & Brian E. Whitacre, 2016. "Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs and Creative Class Employees?," The Review of Regional Studies, Southern Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), pages 171-190, Summer.
    9. Ma, Wanglin & Renwick, Alan & Yuan, Peng & Ratna, Nazmun, 2018. "Agricultural cooperative membership and technical efficiency of apple farmers in China: An analysis accounting for selectivity bias," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 122-132.
    10. Jenny C. Aker, 2011. "Dial “A” for agriculture: a review of information and communication technologies for agricultural extension in developing countries," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 42(6), pages 631-647, November.
    11. Ma, Wanglin & Abdulai, Awudu, 2016. "Does cooperative membership improve household welfare? Evidence from apple farmers in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 94-102.
    12. Gabriel S Sampson & Edward D Perry, 2019. "The Role of Peer Effects in Natural Resource Appropriation – The Case of Groundwater," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 101(1), pages 154-171.
    13. Xin Deng & Dingde Xu & Miao Zeng & Yanbin Qi, 2018. "Landslides and Cropland Abandonment in China’s Mountainous Areas: Spatial Distribution, Empirical Analysis and Policy Implications," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, October.
    14. Jin Yang & Zuhui Huang & Xiaobo Zhang & Thomas Reardon, 2013. "The Rapid Rise of Cross-Regional Agricultural Mechanization Services in China," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(5), pages 1245-1251.
    15. Dingde Xu & Xin Deng & Shili Guo & Shaoquan Liu, 2019. "Sensitivity of Livelihood Strategy to Livelihood Capital: An Empirical Investigation Using Nationally Representative Survey Data from Rural China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 113-131, July.
    16. Brian Whitacre & Roberto Gallardo & Sharon Strover, 2014. "Does rural broadband impact jobs and income? Evidence from spatial and first-differenced regressions," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 53(3), pages 649-670, November.
    17. Hualin Xie & Peng Wang & Guanrong Yao, 2014. "Exploring the Dynamic Mechanisms of Farmland Abandonment Based on a Spatially Explicit Economic Model for Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study in Jiangxi Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-23, March.
    18. Arega Alene & V. Manyong, 2007. "The effects of education on agricultural productivity under traditional and improved technology in northern Nigeria: an endogenous switching regression analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 141-159, April.
    19. Qin Fan & Vania B. Salas Garcia, 2018. "Information Access and Smallholder Farmers’ Market Participation in Peru," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 476-494, June.
    20. Jenny C. Aker & Ishita Ghosh & Jenna Burrell, 2016. "The promise (and pitfalls) of ICT for agriculture initiatives," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 35-48, November.
    21. Xin Meng & Nancy Qian, 2009. "The Long Term Consequences of Famine on Survivors: Evidence from a Unique Natural Experiment using China's Great Famine," NBER Working Papers 14917, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Jenny C. Aker, 2011. "Dial “A” for Agriculture: A Review of Information and Communication Technologies for Agricultural Extension in Developing Countries - Working Paper 269," Working Papers 269, Center for Global Development.
    23. Kiiza, Barnabas & Pederson, Glenn, 2012. "ICT-based market information and adoption of agricultural seed technologies: Insights from Uganda," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 253-259.
    24. George A. Akerlof & Rachel E. Kranton, 2000. "Economics and Identity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(3), pages 715-753.
    25. Yi Che, 2016. "Off-farm employments and land rental behavior: evidence from rural China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 8(1), pages 37-54, February.
    26. Marcel Fafchamps & Bart Minten, 2012. "Impact of SMS-Based Agricultural Information on Indian Farmers," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 26(3), pages 383-414.
    27. Michael Lokshin & Zurab Sajaia, 2004. "Maximum likelihood estimation of endogenous switching regression models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 4(3), pages 282-289, September.
    28. Tesfaye, Wondimagegn & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2018. "The impacts of postharvest storage innovations on food security and welfare in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 52-67.
    29. Aurore J. Kamssu & Jeffrey S. Siekpe & James A. Ellzy, 2004. "Shortcomings to globalization: using internet technology and electronic commerce in developing countries," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 38(1), pages 151-169, September.
    30. Sikor, Thomas & Müller, Daniel & Stahl, Johannes, 2009. "Land Fragmentation and Cropland Abandonment in Albania: Implications for the Roles of State and Community in Post-Socialist Land Consolidation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1411-1423, August.
    31. Jikun Huang & Liangliang Gao & Scott Rozelle, 2012. "The effect of off‐farm employment on the decisions of households to rent out and rent in cultivated land in China," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 4(1), pages 5-17, January.
    32. Aparajita Goyal, 2010. "Information, Direct Access to Farmers, and Rural Market Performance in Central India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 22-45, July.
    33. Hudson, Heather E. & Leclair, Mark & Pelletier, Bernard & Sullivan, Bartholomew, 2017. "Using radio and interactive ICTs to improve food security among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 670-684.
    34. Wanglin Ma & Alan Renwick & Quentin Grafton, 2018. "Farm machinery use, off†farm employment and farm performance in China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(2), pages 279-298, April.
    35. Kirui, Oliver K. & Okello, Julius J. & Nyikal, Rose A. & Njiraini, Georgina W., 2013. "Impact of Mobile Phone-Based Money Transfer Services in Agriculture: Evidence from Kenya," Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Humboldt-Universitaat zu Berlin, vol. 52(2), pages 1-22, May.
    36. Robert Jensen & Nolan H. Miller, 2018. "Market Integration, Demand, and the Growth of Firms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(12), pages 3583-3625, December.
    37. Eduardo Nakasone & Maximo Torero & Bart Minten, 2014. "The Power of Information: The ICT Revolution in Agricultural Development," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 533-550, October.
    38. Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde & Zeng, Miao & Qi, Yanbin, 2019. "Does early-life famine experience impact rural land transfer? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 58-67.
    39. Fan, Shenggen, 2018. "Food policy in 2017-2018: Progress, uncertainty, and rising antiglobalism," IFPRI book chapters, in: 2018 Global food policy report, chapter 1, pages 6-11, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    40. Dingde Xu & Jifei Zhang & Golam Rasul & Shaoquan Liu & Fangting Xie & Mengtian Cao & Enlai Liu, 2015. "Household Livelihood Strategies and Dependence on Agriculture in the Mountainous Settlements in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-20, April.
    41. Michael Lokshin & Zurab Sajaia, 2011. "Impact of interventions on discrete outcomes: Maximum likelihood estimation of the binary choice models with binary endogenous regressors," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 11(3), pages 368-385, September.
    42. Ma, Wanglin & Renwick, Alan & Nie, Peng & Tang, Jianjun & Cai, Rong, 2018. "Off-farm work, smartphone use and household income: Evidence from rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 80-94.
    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. Anthony Siaw & Yuansheng Jiang & Martinson Ankrah Twumasi & Wonder Agbenyo, 2020. "The Impact of Internet Use on Income: The Case of Rural Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Min, Shi & Liu, Min & Huang, Jikun, 2020. "Does the application of ICTs facilitate rural economic transformation in China? Empirical evidence from the use of smartphones among farmers," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Xin Deng & Zhongcheng Yan & Dingde Xu & Yanbin Qi, 2020. "Land Registration, Adjustment Experience, and Agricultural Machinery Adoption: Empirical Analysis from Rural China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-14, March.
    4. Martinson Ankrah Twumasi & Yuansheng Jiang & Bismark Addai & Zhao Ding & Abbas Ali Chandio & Prince Fosu & Dennis Asante & Anthony Siaw & Frank Osei Danquah & Bright Asiamah Korankye & Gideon Ntim-Amo, 2021. "The Impact of Cooperative Membership on Fish Farm Households’ Income: The Case of Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    5. Wanglin Ma & R. Quentin Grafton & Alan Renwick, 2020. "Smartphone use and income growth in rural China: empirical results and policy implications," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 713-736, December.
    6. Deng, Xin & Xu, Dingde & Zeng, Miao & Qi, Yanbin, 2019. "Does early-life famine experience impact rural land transfer? Evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 58-67.
    7. Dingde Xu & Zhuolin Yong & Xin Deng & Linmei Zhuang & Chen Qing, 2020. "Rural-Urban Migration and its Effect on Land Transfer in Rural China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-15, March.
    8. Yi Cai & Wene Qi & Famin Yi, 2023. "Smartphone use and willingness to adopt digital pest and disease management: Evidence from litchi growers in rural China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(1), pages 131-147, January.
    9. Xin Deng & Dingde Xu & Yanbin Qi & Miao Zeng, 2018. "Labor Off-Farm Employment and Cropland Abandonment in Rural China: Spatial Distribution and Empirical Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-15, August.
    10. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma, 2023. "Smartphone-based information acquisition and wheat farm performance: insights from a doubly robust IPWRA estimator," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 633-658, June.
    11. Voss, Rachel C. & Jansen, Tony & Mané, Bacary & Shennan, Carol, 2021. "Encouraging technology adoption using ICTs and farm trials in Senegal: Lessons for gender equity and scaled impact," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    12. Zhu, Xiaoke & Hu, Ruifa & Zhang, Chao & Shi, Guanming, 2021. "Does Internet use improve technical efficiency? Evidence from apple production in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    13. Kai Huang & Xin Deng & Yi Liu & Zhuolin Yong & Dingde Xu, 2020. "Does off-Farm Migration of Female Laborers Inhibit Land Transfer? Evidence from Sichuan Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, January.
    14. Ping Xue & Xinru Han & Yongchun Wang & Xiudong Wang, 2022. "Can Agricultural Machinery Harvesting Services Reduce Cropland Abandonment? Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-15, June.
    15. Xu, Dingde & Deng, Xin & Huang, Kai & Liu, Yi & Yong, Zhuolin & Liu, Shaoquan, 2019. "Relationships between labor migration and cropland abandonment in rural China from the perspective of village types," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    16. Xin Deng & Lingzhi Zhang & Rong Xu & Miao Zeng & Qiang He & Dingde Xu & Yanbin Qi, 2022. "Do Cooperatives Affect Groundwater Protection? Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, July.
    17. Yang, Qi & Zhu, Yueji & Liu, Ling & Wang, Fang, 2021. "Land tenure stability and adoption intensity of sustainable agricultural practices: Evidence from banana farmers in China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315254, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    18. Jenny Aker & Joel Cariolle, 2022. "The Use of Digital for Public Service Provision in Sub-Saharan Africa," Post-Print hal-03003899, HAL.
    19. Lin, Bin & Wang, Xiaoxi & Jin, Songqing & Yang, Wanjiang & Li, Houjian, 2022. "Impacts of cooperative membership on rice productivity: Evidence from China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    20. 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).

    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:lauspo:v:89:y:2019:i:c:s0264837719302819. 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: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    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.