Can Land Transfer-In Improve Farmers’ Farmland Quality Protection Behavior? Empirical Evidence from Micro-Survey Data in Hubei Province, China

Sheng Xu, Yu Xiao, Lu Zhang, Caiyan Yang and Xichuan Liu ()
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Sheng Xu: College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Yu Xiao: College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Lu Zhang: College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Caiyan Yang: College of Economics and Management, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Xichuan Liu: College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-28

Abstract: Enhancing farmers’ behaviors toward cultivated land quality protection is a crucial support in achieving sustainable agricultural development and the national food security strategy. This study aims to investigate the impact of land transfer-in on farmers’ behaviors regarding cultivated land quality protection, explore the underlying mechanisms, and analyze group heterogeneity. To achieve this, the study empirically estimates the impact of land transfer-in on farmers’ behaviors in protecting cultivated land quality using micro-survey data from 743 households in Hubei Province, while addressing endogeneity and conducting robustness checks. The study further explores the mechanisms and heterogeneity of the effects of land transfer-in on farmers’ cultivated land quality protection behaviors. The results reveal that (1) land transfer-in significantly increases the likelihood of farmers taking actual actions to protect cultivated land quality and enhances their awareness, thereby promoting protective behaviors; (2) land transfer-in facilitates these protective behaviors mainly through income incentives and social network interactions, while rental constraints may have a suppressive effect; (3) full-time farmers, those with higher agricultural literacy, those who access agricultural knowledge online, and those affected by natural disasters are more likely to engage in proactive land quality protection behaviors after land transfer-in.

Keywords: land circulation; cultivated land quality protection; income incentive; rental constraint; social network interaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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