中国农业劳动相对价格变动对农业服务业化的影响

The Influence of Labor Relative Price on Servitization of Agriculture in China

农业服务业化是中国式农业现代化的一个重要表现,是什么因素推动着这一转型?针对这一问题,本文基于诱致性制度变迁理论,运用2006—2022年的省级面板数据,从人口变化下的农业劳动相对价格视角分析了中国农业服务业化的原因。研究发现:农村人口数量和结构变化引起农业劳动力的相对价格上涨,由此引致一系列替代劳动的要素、技术及其组合以农业社会化服务的形式出现,最终促进中国农业服务业化发展。同时,劳动相对价格对农业服务业化的影响存在“倒U型”关系。进一步分析发现,小规模家庭经营主导的农业经营格局和中国特色的农业区域、产业差异是中国农业服务业化及其多样化发展的主要原因。本文结论能为更好地理解中国式农业现代化的发展趋势提供重要的理论与实践参考。

The servitization of agriculture is a significant aspect of agricultural modernization in China.Why does China's agriculture develop in the direction of servitization,and what factors are driving this transformation?The existing literature has not fully discussed this issue,and this paper addresses the gap by applying the theory of induced institutional change.Using provincial panel data from China spanning from 2006 to 2022,we analyze the causes of agricultural servitization in China from the perspective of the relative price of agricultural labor amidst population changes.Our study reveals that the continuous migration of the rural population,particularly the younger and middle-aged workforce,to urban areas has transformed agricultural labor from being in absolute surplus to relatively scarce.This shift has led to an increase in the relative price of agricultural labor,which leads to a series of elements,technologies and labor alternatives in the form of socialized agricultural services.Ultimately,this process fosters the servitization of agriculture in China.Additionally,our study also find that there is an“inverted-shaped”relationship between the relative price of labor and the extent of agricultural servicization.As agricultural production scales up beyond a certain point,operating entities will shift from purchasing services to investing in machinery for self-service,thereby restraining the expansion of agricultural service market capacity.Further analysis shows that the predominance of small-scale family farming and the differences across various agricultural regions and industries characteristics of Chinese agriculture are the main reasons for the agricultural servicization and diversification of agricultural services in China.Based on the these conclusions,this paper puts forward the following three policy suggestions:Firstly,the price of agricultural factors should be reasonably regulated according to the situation,by establishing a specialized and seasonal agricultural labor market,standardizing of land circulation markets,and regulating excessively large-scale land circulation.Secondly,take service subjects as the core to improve the agricultural socialized service system,including strengthening the service suppliers'service capabilities,building a regional service platform to promote the connection of service supply and demand,and strengthening the connection relationship between service suppliers and buyers.Thirdly,the government should implement targeted policies to promote the diverse development of socialized agricultural services.It is essential to design various service plans and support policies tailored to specific contexts and timeframes.