The impact of labor migration on chemical fertilizer use of wheat smallholders in China- mediation analysis of socialized service

Abstract

Optimizing chemical fertilizer use has been an effective approach to improve the sustainability of farming systems. As the mainstay of agricultural production, smallholders' migration from rural to urban areas has attracted widespread attention, and this phenomenon is highly controversial in preventing smallholders from optimal chemical fertilizer use. However, with the development of socialized service centered on division and specialization, the possibility of mitigating the negative impact of labor migration on chemical fertilizer use remains to be further examined. Therefore, this study established a conceptual framework of “labor migration–socialized service demand–chemical fertilizer use”, which was verified by applying the Logit model, instrumental variable two-stage least squares regression, and mediation model, using a survey data set with 1112 households collected in seven wheat-producing provinces in China in 2019, to reveal how socialized service can mitigate the impacts of labor migration on chemical fertilizer use. We showed that, approximately 95.5% of smallholders uneconomically used chemical fertilizer. Labor migration had a significant positive effect on chemical fertilizer use, which is mediated by socialized service. Labor migration could promote smallholders’ demand for socialized service, particularly by increasing demand for service type, service intensity, and organization degree of the service providers. This study will contribute to enhancing the socialized service system and transforming towards sustainable agriculture.