IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i3p516-d1603437.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Research on the Mechanism of the Influence of Farm Scale on the Environmental Efficiency of Apple Production—Tests Based on a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Wenwen Yu

    (School of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Jin Yu

    (School of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

  • Xiaonan Chen

    (School of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100, China)

Abstract

The present study explores the impact of farm scale on environmental efficiency to provide theoretical support and policy reference for the modernization and sustainable development of the apple industry. The study is based on research data from apple farmers in three counties of the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in 2021. Firstly, the life cycle approach is applied to assess the comprehensive environmental pollution emissions in apple production and to clarify the non-desired outputs. Secondly, the environmental efficiency of apple production is measured using the SBM model, based on which the Tobit model is utilized to explore the impact of operation scale on the environmental efficiency of apple production and its potential mechanism of action. The results of the study show the following: (1) The mean environmental efficiency of the farmers in the sample is 0.278, indicating that the overall environmental efficiency of apple production is low; (2) there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the scale of operation and the environmental efficiency of apple production, and the results are robust. This analysis was conducted after addressing endogeneity. Thirdly, the study found that the intensity of the adoption of green technology and farmers’ environmental awareness play a significant mediating role in the influence of business scale on the environmental efficiency of apple production. The potential mechanism of the effect of the scale of operation on the environmental efficiency of apple production was also investigated. Consequently, it is recommended to expedite the promotion of moderate-scale orchard operations, to proactively cultivate new management entities, and to enhance the adoption level of green technology and environmental cognition among farmers. These measures are proposed to encourage sustainable and high-quality development in the apple industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenwen Yu & Jin Yu & Xiaonan Chen, 2025. "Research on the Mechanism of the Influence of Farm Scale on the Environmental Efficiency of Apple Production—Tests Based on a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-21, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:516-:d:1603437
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/516/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/516/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, Yunqiang & Zhu, Jialing & Li, Eldon Y. & Meng, Zhiyi & Song, Yan, 2020. "Environmental regulation, green technological innovation, and eco-efficiency: The case of Yangtze river economic belt in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    2. Mouron, Patrik & Scholz, Roland W. & Nemecek, Thomas & Weber, Olaf, 2006. "Life cycle management on Swiss fruit farms: Relating environmental and income indicators for apple-growing," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 561-578, June.
    3. Zhong, Shen & Li, Junwei & Qu, Yi, 2022. "Green total factor productivity of dairy cow in China: Key facts from scale and regional sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    4. Kuang, Bing & Lu, Xinhai & Zhou, Min & Chen, Danling, 2020. "Provincial cultivated land use efficiency in China: Empirical analysis based on the SBM-DEA model with carbon emissions considered," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Zhang, Binbin & Yan, Sihui & Li, Bin & Wu, Shufang & Feng, Hao & Gao, Xiaodong & Song, Xiaolin & Siddique, Kadambot H.M., 2023. "Combining organic and chemical fertilizer plus water-saving system reduces environmental impacts and improves apple yield in rainfed apple orchards," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    6. Liu, Yansui & Zou, Lilin & Wang, Yongsheng, 2020. "Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural eco-efficiency in China in recent 40 years," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    7. Liu, Yu & Yan, Binjian & Wang, Yue & Zhou, Yingheng, 2019. "Will land transfer always increase technical efficiency in China?—A land cost perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 414-421.
    8. Wen, Shenglin & Cui, Ningbo & Gong, Daozhi & Xing, Liwen & Wu, Zongjun & Zhang, Yixuan & Wang, Zhihui & Wang, Jiaxin, 2023. "Optimizing nitrogen fertilizer application for achieving high yield with low environmental risks in apple orchard," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    9. Juanjuan Cheng & Qian Wang & Huanmin Zhang & Toyohiko Matsubara & Naoki Yoshikawa & Jin Yu, 2022. "Does Farm Size Expansion Improve the Agricultural Environment? Evidence from Apple Farmers in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-23, October.
    10. Li Wang & Jinyang Tang & Mengqian Tang & Mengying Su & Lili Guo, 2022. "Scale of Operation, Financial Support, and Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, July.
    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. Fei, Rilong & Lin, Ziyi & Chunga, Joseph, 2021. "How land transfer affects agricultural land use efficiency: Evidence from China’s agricultural sector," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    2. Guangyan Ran & Guangyao Wang & Huijuan Du & Mi Lv, 2023. "Relationship of Cooperative Management and Green and Low-Carbon Transition of Agriculture and Its Impacts: A Case Study of the Western Tarim River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Qi Liu & Jiajun Qiao & Dong Han & Mengjuan Li & Liangxiao Shi, 2023. "Spatiotemporal Evolution of Cultivated Land Use Eco-Efficiency and Its Dynamic Relationship with Landscape Pattern Change from the Perspective of Carbon Effect: A Case Study of Henan, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-27, July.
    4. Peng, Yue & Wang, Wei & Zhen, Shangsong & Liu, Yunqiang, 2024. "Does digitalization help green consumption? Empirical test based on the perspective of supply and demand of green products," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Xiao Zhang & Di Wang, 2023. "Beyond the Ecological Boundary: A Quasi-Natural Experiment on the Impact of National Marine Parks on Eco-Efficiency in Coastal Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-19, October.
    6. Lei Zhang & Lili Xu & Mingzi Gao & Mingdong Zhou, 2024. "Can Agricultural Credit Promote the Green Transformation of China’s Agriculture?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Christopher Lominac & Amitrajeet Batabyal, 2009. "An approach to the management of orchards that are vulnerable to attack by invasive species," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 123-131, October.
    8. Lan Mu & Chunxia Luo & Zongjia Tan & Binglin Zhang & Xiaojuan Qu, 2023. "Assessing the Impact of Different Agricultural Irrigation Charging Methods on Sustainable Agricultural Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    9. Shang, Hua & Jiang, Li & Pan, Xianyou & Pan, Xiongfeng, 2022. "Green technology innovation spillover effect and urban eco-efficiency convergence: Evidence from Chinese cities," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    10. Oriana Gava & Fabio Bartolini & Francesca Venturi & Gianluca Brunori & Angela Zinnai & Alberto Pardossi, 2018. "A Reflection of the Use of the Life Cycle Assessment Tool for Agri-Food Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    11. Yunfei Feng & Yi Zhang & Zhaodan Wu & Quanliang Ye & Xinchun Cao, 2023. "Evaluation of Agricultural Eco-Efficiency and Its Spatiotemporal Differentiation in China, Considering Green Water Consumption and Carbon Emissions Based on Undesired Dynamic SBM-DEA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    12. Xuelan Li & Rui Guan, 2023. "How Does Agricultural Mechanization Service Affect Agricultural Green Transformation in China?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-23, January.
    13. Yongrok Choi & Hyoungsuk Lee & Hojin Jeong & Jahira Debbarma, 2023. "Urbanization Paradox of Environmental Policies in Korean Local Governments," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, February.
    14. Zhe Zhao & Pengyu Peng & Fan Zhang & Jiayin Wang & Hongxuan Li, 2022. "The Impact of the Urbanization Process on Agricultural Technical Efficiency in Northeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-20, September.
    15. Zhang, Yuanxia & Halder, Pradipta & Zhang, Xiaoning & Qu, Mei, 2020. "Analyzing the deviation between farmers' Land transfer intention and behavior in China's impoverished mountainous Area: A Logistic-ISM model approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    16. Nina Repar & Pierrick Jan & Thomas Nemecek & Dunja Dux & Martina Alig Ceesay & Reiner Doluschitz, 2016. "Local versus Global Environmental Performance of Dairying and Their Link to Economic Performance: A Case Study of Swiss Mountain Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-19, December.
    17. Zhang, Bangbang & Li, Xian & Chen, Haibin & Niu, Wenhao & Kong, Xiangbin & Yu, Qiang & Zhao, Minjuan & Xia, Xianli, 2022. "Identifying opportunities to close yield gaps in China by use of certificated cultivars to estimate potential productivity," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    18. Shuting Liu & Junsong Jia & Hanzhi Huang & Dilan Chen & Yexi Zhong & Yangming Zhou, 2023. "China’s CO 2 Emissions: A Thorough Analysis of Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Sustainable Policy from the Agricultural Land-Use Perspective during 1995–2020," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-20, June.
    19. Li, Bowei & Shen, Yueqin, 2021. "Effects of land transfer quality on the application of organic fertilizer by large-scale farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    20. Nemecek, Thomas & Dubois, David & Huguenin-Elie, Olivier & Gaillard, Gérard, 2011. "Life cycle assessment of Swiss farming systems: I. Integrated and organic farming," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(3), pages 217-232, March.

    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:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:516-:d:1603437. 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.