Does Digital Technology Application Promote Carbon Emission Efficiency in Dairy Farms? Evidence from China

Chenyang Liu, Xinyao Wang, Ziming Bai, Hongye Wang and Cuixia Li ()
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Chenyang Liu: College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Xinyao Wang: College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Ziming Bai: College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Hongye Wang: College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Cuixia Li: College of Economics and Management, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: The implementation of digital technology has become paramount to facilitating green and low-carbon development in dairy farms amidst the advent of digital agriculture and low-carbon agriculture. This study examined the impact of digital technology implementation on the carbon emission efficiency of Chinese dairy farms via an assessment of micro-survey data, incorporating an Undesirable Outputs-SBM model, a Tobit model, the propensity score matching technique, a quantile regression model, and an instrumental variable approach. This study examined the potential moderating influence of environmental regulations on digital technology applications and the carbon emission efficiency of dairy farms. The findings of the research indicate that the implementation of digital technology had a considerable beneficial consequence on the carbon emission proficiency of dairy farms. The statistical significance level of the mean treatment effect was 0.1161, with the most profound influence of precision feeding digital technology on the carbon emission efficiency in dairy farms. The application of digital technology has a more pronounced effect on dairy farms with lower levels of carbon emission efficiency compared to those with medium and high levels of carbon emission efficiency. The application of digital technology toward the carbon emission efficiency of dairy farms is positively moderated by environmental regulations. Finally, this paper puts forward some specific policy recommendations to achieve the strategic goal of low carbon and efficient development in dairy farms through the application of digital technology, which enriches the existing research on carbon emission reduction in dairy farms from theoretical and practical aspects.

Keywords: digital technology; carbon emission efficiency; Chinese dairy farms; propensity score matching method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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