IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i16p12317-d1216128.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Rural Human Capital Improve Agricultural Ecological Efficiency? Empirical Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Yankang Hu

    (College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China)

  • Hongchao Yu

    (Qingdao Changyang Group Co., Ltd., Qingdao 266600, China)

  • Xinglong Yang

    (College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China)

Abstract

Agricultural ecological efficiency (AEE) is an important index to measure the coordinated development of agricultural production, resources, and the environment. This study tries to explore the impact of rural human capital (RHC) on AEE, hoping to provide a reference for promoting the green development of agriculture. Data sets (2006–2021) used in this study were gathered from Official Statistics Panel data in 30 provinces in China. Firstly, the super-efficient slacks-based measure model (SBM) with non-expected output is employed to effectively measure AEE. Secondly, the entropy method is used to measure RHC in three dimensions: education, health, and migration. Finally, this study discusses the impact of RHC on AEE using the panel Tobit model and further verifies the moderating effect of Internet popularization on the effect of RHC on AEE using the moderating effect model. The results show that RHC has a significant positive impact on the promotion of AEE, and this positive impact has obvious regional heterogeneity. Specifically, RHC has a greater promoting role on AEE in the eastern and northeastern regions, while it has a smaller promoting role on AEE in the central and western regions. In addition, Internet penetration plays a positive moderating role in the mechanism of the effect of RHC on the AEE. This study may serve as a reference for improving AEE by providing theoretical guidance and policy suggestions for promoting agricultural green development.

Suggested Citation

  • Yankang Hu & Hongchao Yu & Xinglong Yang, 2023. "Can Rural Human Capital Improve Agricultural Ecological Efficiency? Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:16:p:12317-:d:1216128
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12317/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/16/12317/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Akçomak, I. Semih & ter Weel, Bas, 2009. "Social capital, innovation and growth: Evidence from Europe," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 544-567, July.
    2. Guoyong Wu & Yu Xie & Haoxin Li & Noman Riaz, 2022. "Agricultural Ecological Efficiency under the Carbon Emissions Trading System in China: A Spatial Difference-in-Difference Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-13, April.
    3. 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).
    4. Orazio Attanasio & Costas Meghir & Emily Nix & Francesca Salvati, 2017. "Human Capital Growth and Poverty: Evidence from Ethiopia and Peru," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 25, pages 234-259, April.
    5. Malte Reimers & Stephan Klasen, 2013. "Revisiting the Role of Education for Agricultural Productivity," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(1), pages 131-152.
    6. Beugelsdijk, Sjoerd & van Schaik, Ton, 2005. "Social capital and growth in European regions: an empirical test," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 301-324, June.
    7. Puškárová, Paula & Piribauer, Philipp, 2016. "The impact of knowledge spillovers on total factor productivity revisited: New evidence from selected European capital regions," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 335-344.
    8. Tone, Kaoru, 2001. "A slacks-based measure of efficiency in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(3), pages 498-509, May.
    9. Zhongfang Zhang & Lijun Hou & Yuhao Qian & Xing Wan, 2022. "Effect of Zero Growth of Fertilizer Action on Ecological Efficiency of Grain Production in China under the Background of Carbon Emission Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-16, November.
    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. Puskarova, Paula, 2022. "Trust or bust: Growth effects of knowledge, human and social capital revisited," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 46(4).
    2. Xindong Xue & W. Robert Reed & Robbie C.M. van Aert, 2022. "Social Capital and Economic Growth: A Meta-Analysis," Working Papers in Economics 22/20, University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance.
    3. Roberto Antonietti & Ron Boschma, 2021. "Social capital, resilience, and regional diversification in Italy [Social capital, innovation and growth: evidence from Europe]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 30(3), pages 762-777.
    4. Antoci Angelo & Sabatini Fabio & Sodini Mauro, 2009. "Will growth and technology destroy social interaction? The inverted U-shape hypothesis," wp.comunite 0057, Department of Communication, University of Teramo.
    5. Forte, Anabel & Peiró-Palomino, Jesús & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2015. "Does social capital matter for European regional growth?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 47-64.
    6. Sibylle Puntscher & Christoph Hauser & Janette Walde & Gottfried Tappeiner, 2015. "The Impact of Social Capital on Subjective Well-Being: A Regional Perspective," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1231-1246, October.
    7. Soogwan Doh & Connie McNeely, 2012. "A multi-dimensional perspective on social capital and economic development: an exploratory analysis," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(3), pages 821-843, December.
    8. Mohammad Salahuddin & Clem Tisdell & Lorelle Burton & Khorshed Alam, 2015. "Social Capital Formation, Internet Usage and Economic Growth in Australia: Evidence from Time Series Data," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 5(4), pages 942-953.
    9. YODO Masato & YANO Makoto, 2017. "Household Income and the OECD's Four Types of Social Capital," Discussion papers 17119, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    10. Laura Casi & Laura Resmini, 2017. "Foreign direct investment and growth: Can different regional identities shape the returns to foreign capital investments?," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(8), pages 1483-1508, December.
    11. Nicola Cortinovis & Jing Xiao & Ron Boschma & Frank G van Oort, 2017. "Quality of government and social capital as drivers of regional diversification in Europe," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1179-1208.
    12. Judit Kapas, 2017. "How Cultural Values Affect Economic Growth: A Critical Assessment Of The Literature," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 26(1), pages 265-285, june.
    13. Jesús Peiró-Palomino, 2016. "Social Capital and Economic Growth in Europe: Nonlinear Trends and Heterogeneous Regional Effects," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 78(5), pages 717-751, October.
    14. Laura de Dominicis & Raymond J.G.M. Florax & Henri L.F. de Groot, 2013. "Regional clusters of innovative activity in Europe: are social capital and geographical proximity key determinants?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(17), pages 2325-2335, June.
    15. Roberto Ganau & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2023. "Firm-level productivity growth returns of social capital: Evidence from Western Europe," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2305, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Feb 2023.
    16. Pan Rao & Xiaojin Liu & Shubin Zhu & Xiaolan Kang & Xinglei Zhao & Fangting Xie, 2022. "Does the Application of ICTs Improve the Efficiency of Agricultural Carbon Reduction? Evidence from Broadband Adoption in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-19, June.
    17. Angelo Antoci & Fabio Sabatini & Mauro Sodini, 2013. "Economic Growth, Technological Progress and Social Capital: The Inverted U Hypothesis," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 401-431, July.
    18. Zhongfang Zhang & Lijun Hou & Yuhao Qian & Xing Wan, 2022. "Effect of Zero Growth of Fertilizer Action on Ecological Efficiency of Grain Production in China under the Background of Carbon Emission Reduction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-16, November.
    19. Isabella Santini & Anna de Pascale, "undated". "Social capital and its impact on poverty reduction: measurement issues in longitudinal and cross-country comparisons. Towards a unified framework in the European Union," Working Papers 101/12, Sapienza University of Rome, Metodi e Modelli per l'Economia, il Territorio e la Finanza MEMOTEF.
    20. Alessandro Cascavilla & Jordi Ripollés & Andrea Morone, 2024. "Tax morale and social capital: An empirical investigation among European citizens," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(2), pages 441-476, June.

    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:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:16:p:12317-:d:1216128. 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.