数字技术应用对农户相对贫困的影响

利用2020年“中国乡村振兴综合调查”(CRRS)数据从理论和实证层面考察数字技术应用对农户相对贫困的影响及其作用机制,研究发现,将农户相对贫困的收入贫困线划定在人均可支配收入中位数的40%、50%和60%时,相对贫困发生率分别为20.5%、26.8%和30.1%。实证结果表明,数字技术应用能够显著缓解农户相对贫困,在经过一系列内生性检验和稳健性检验后结论依旧成立;机制检验结果表明,数字技术应用可以通过非农型生计策略选择来缓解农户相对贫困;区域异质性分析结果表明,数字技术应用对农户相对贫困的缓解作用在中部地区最大,东部地区次之,在西部地区和东北地区中仅西部地区数字技术使用维度显著。为此,应当关注相对贫困问题,建立解决农村相对贫困的长效机制;不断缩小城乡间、区域间与群体间的数字鸿沟;破除农村劳动力流动的制度阻碍,适度增加非农就业机会,为农户生计策略的有序改善创造外部条件。

Influences of labor migration on rural household land transfer:A case study of Sichuan Province,China

The influence of labor migration on rural household land transfer has been hotly debated in academic circles, which focuses on whether part-time employment leads to land transfer. Using survey data on rural households in the Sichuan Province, and applying the theoretical framework of new economics of labor migration, this study explores the influences of labor migration on the direction and scale of land transfer from the perspective of rural household structure. The results indicate that: 1) the quantity of laborers has significant influence on the direction and scale of land transfer. The larger the on-farm labor variable(Labor), the lesser the possibility that land will be rented-out and the amount of land rented out will also be smaller. In addition, there is a greater probability that land will be rented-in and the amount of land rented-in will be greater. 2) The greater the ratio of off-farm laborers to rural household laborers(Off-farm) the greater the possibility that land will be rented-out. In addition the higher the ratio of on-farm laborers to the total household laborers(On-farm), the larger the possibility that land will be rented-in. Meanwhile, if the household has individuals at the age of 64 or older(Old) who are engaged in agriculture, there is a smaller possibility that land will be rentedout. 3) the ratio of part-time laborers to rural household laborers(Pluriactivity) have significant inverse U-shaped influences on the rent-in of land as well as the amount of land rented-in. The inflection points are 33.27% and 14.10%, respectively. Such findings confirm the significance of this study in better understanding the influence of labor migration on rural household land transfer.

The Influence of Gender and Other Characteristics on Rural Laborers' Employment Patterns in the Mountainous and Upland Areas of Sichuan,China

This study examines gender differences in rural laborers‘ employment patterns in the mountainous and upland areas of Sichuan, China. The analysis employs both representative survey data of 400 households and geographical data. Multinomial logistic regression models are used to analyze the influences of gender, among other factors, on employment decisions of rural males and females, where the factors considered include personal, household, community natural environmental characteristics. Dividing laborers into four categories, we find that the proportions of males who participating in on-farm, pluriactive, and off-farm work, and unemployment were 24.41%, 28.64%, 46.27%, and 0.68% respectively, while that of females who participating in on-farm, pluriactive, and offfarm work, and unemployment were 43.20%, 13.95%, 30.95%, and 11.90% respectively. As to individual characteristics, age(AGE) and physical condition(PHY) effects appeared to be more pronounced for men, while education(EDU) and marital status(MAR)effects appeared to be more pronounced for women. Regarding household and community characteristics, the effects of the presence in the household of children aged 6-(CHI), number of persons in the household(POP), and labor force(LAB), per capitaincome in village(INCV), and the development status of village enterprises(ENT) on women were greater than that on men. In addition, the presence in the household of elderly individuals aged 65+(OLD) and time to reach the nearest township(TIME) are shown to have opposite impacts on men and women. While the presence in the household of pupils(PUP) and per capital gross value of industrial output(GVIO) was found to be irresponsive to men and women taking pluriavtivity and off-farm job. With respect to natural environments characteristics, the effects on men were opposite of those on women. Unemployment of women was found to be particularly responsive to household characteristics. A multinomial regression approach is undertaken to analyze rural males‘ and females‘ decisions of the four employment patterns considered, an approach that reveals considerable heterogeneity that is concealed by the dichotomous approach employed in most previous studies. The study thus contributes to our understanding of rural employment patterns and gender difference in mountainous and upland areas.

Influential Factors in Employment Location Selection Based on “Push-Pull” Migration Theory—A Case Study in Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China

In China, farmers employed in non-farm work have become important socio-economic actors, but few studies have examined the farmers' perspective in making their work location choices. Based on "push-pull" migration theory, this paper utilizes sectional data from a 2013 survey of farmers in China's Three Gorges Reservoir area to empirically analyze the factors influencing migrant workers' choice of employment location. The results indicate that 60.46% of laborers have migrated from their home province, whereas 39.54% have remained in their home province. Focusing on personal, household, and community characteristics—in addition to the economic characteristics of the sample counties—multinomial logistic regression models reveal that farmer-laborers' employment location decisions are influenced by their personal capital endowment(age, years of education and social networks), family structure(the number of laborers, elders, children and students), home village characteristics(location, economic development level and the degree of relief of the land) and home county economic development level. Notably, male and female laborers' location decisions reveal a converging trend, and their differences are not pronounced. Per capita arable land area has little influence on location decisions, whereas the educational level of laborers has a significant impact. The results differ significantly from those found in previous studies.

Impact of land expropriation on farmers’ livelihoods in the mountainous and hilly regions of Sichuan, China

Research on the sustainable livelihoods of rural households is of great significance to mitigating rural poverty and reasonable land expropriation policy helps to realize better livelihoods and sustainable development.Scholars have conducted considerable research on the relationships between land expropriation and farmers'livelihoods.However,few quantitative studies have used the characteristics of villages as control variables to systematically analyze the impact of land expropriation on farmers'livelihood capital and strategy in the mountainous and hilly regions of China.This study uses the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model(PLS-SEM)to systematically explain the impact of land expropriation on farmers'livelihoods in mountainous and hilly regions of Sichuan in 2013,with the characteristics of the village including income,accessibility and terrain as control variables.The analysis uses both representative sample data of 240 rural households and spatial data calculated using a 30 m Digital Elevation Model(DEM)by Geographic Information System(GIS).Results are as follows:(1)The land expropriation characteristicsare negatively affected by village accessibility.Villages with worse accessibility tend to have fewer land parcels and less land area expropriated.Additionally,land that is expropriated from inaccessible villages tends to receive less compensation.(2)Natural capital is negatively affected by number and area of land expropriation.Natural capital is not only directly affected by village accessibility,but also indirectly affected by village accessibility through the mediating effect of the number and area of land parcels expropriated.(3)Physical capital is positively affected by compensation for land expropriation,and negatively affected by village accessibility through compensation for land expropriation.The worse a village's accessibility/location is,the less compensation it will receive for land expropriation,resulting in lower physical capital.(4)Financial capital is negatively affected by village accessibility indirectly through compensation for land expropriation.The better the village'saccessibility is,the greateris its compensation for land expropriation and,hence,the greater is its financial capital.(5)Social capital is directly and negatively affected by the number and area of land parcels expropriated,and is indirectly and positively affected by village accessibility through the number and area of land parcels expropriated.This study enhances our understanding of the characteristics of land expropriation and rural households'livelihood as well as the impact of land expropriation on rural households'livelihood.These findings provide reference for the formulation of proper policies related to land expropriation and the improvement of rural households'livelihoods in the mountainous and hilly regions of China.

Does labor off-farm employment inevitably lead to land rent out?Evidence from China

The focus of land economics is on how to decrease the misallocation of resources to achieve an optimal allocation of resources. Both the theories of new economics of labor migration(NELM) and the conclusions of empirical studies reveal that land resources will inevitably be reallocated(e.g., rented out) if the resources of family labor are reallocated(e.g., off-farm employment). However, this study reveals that off-farm employment does not inevitably lead to land rent out. More precisely, this study uses survey data on 8031 peasant households from 27 provinces in China and explores the relationship between off-farm employment and land rent out by describing spatial features and through empirical analysis(e.g., IV-Probit model and IV-Tobit model). The results show the following: 1) There is an indirect relationship between off-farm employment and land rent out regarding spatial area aggregation, i.e., regions with a higher ratio of off-farm employment also have a lower area of land rent out. 2) Off-farm employment is significantly positively correlated with the behavior of land rent out, but its square is significantly negatively correlated with the behavior, i.e., there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between off-farm employment and the behavior of land rent out, with the turning point being 55.55% offfarm employment. 3) Off-farm employment is significantly positively correlated with the area of land rent out, but its square is significantly negatively correlated with the area, i.e., there is an inverted Ushaped relationship between off-farm employment and the area of land rent out, with the turning point being 56.22% off-farm employment. This study helps explain why China has a high ratio of off-farm employment but a lower rate of land rent out.