Low-carbon transformation of China's smallholder agriculture: exploring the role of farmland size expansion and green technology adoption.

Abstract

Farmland size and green technology have a significant impact on agricultural carbon emissions. However, more research needs to consider the impact of their interaction on agricultural carbon neutralization. In this paper, the impact of farmland size on the net carbon effect and its underlying mechanisms from the perspective of green agricultural technology adoption were empirically examined using a tracking survey of 2600 farming households. The results show that farmland size expansion at both household and plot levels can increase the net carbon effect of the planting industry, which is more pronounced for grain crops than cash crops. Specifically, a 1% increase in the total area of household farmland or the largest contracted plot area can increase the net carbon effect by more than 3%. Green technology also plays a mediation effect in their relationship. Increasing farmland size can generate sufficient economic incentives to encourage green technology adoption, contributing to carbon sequestration and emissions reduction and increasing the crop's net carbon effect. Furthermore, we find that farmland expansion can significantly encourage the adoption of efficiency-enhancing technologies but not environmentally friendly technologies. Our findings suggest that promoting farmland expansion and green technology extension is effective for the low-carbon transformation of Chinese agriculture. The government should make distinct promotion policies for various green agricultural technologies and differentiating incentives and support policies for different-sized farmers. Our study provides insights into the path to Chinese-style agricultural modernization in the context of a smallholder economy.