The impact of Internet access on household dietary quality:Evidence from rural China

Over the past few decades,the Internet has rapidly diffused across China.The spread of the Internet has had a profound economic and social impact on Chinese rural areas.Existing research shows that Internet access significantly impacts agricultural production and improves smallholder farmers’income.Beyond these,the Internet can affect other dimensions of social welfare.However,research about the impact of Internet access on dietary quality in rural China remains scarce.This study utilizes multi-period panel data from Fixed Observation Point in rural China from 2009 to 2015 to estimate the impact of Internet access on dietary quality and food consumption of rural households and conducts a causal analysis.Regression models with time and household fixed effects allow robust estimation while reducing potential issues of unobserved heterogeneity.The estimates show that Internet access has significantly increased rural household dietary quality(measured by the Chinese Diet Balance Index).Further research finds that Internet access has increased the consumption of animal products,such as aquatic and dairy products.We also examine the underlying mechanisms.Internet access improves dietary quality and food consumption mainly through increasing household income and food expenditure.These results encourage the promotion of Internet access as a valuable tool for nutritional improvements,especially in rural areas.

Spatial-temporal differentiation and influencing factors of rural settlements in mountainous areas: an example of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Southwestern China

Rural settlement is the basic spatial unit for compact communities in rural area. Scientific exploration of spatial-temporal differentiation and its influencing factors is the premise of spatial layout rationalization. Based on land use data of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture(hereinafter referred to as Liangshan Prefecture) in Sichuan Province, China from 1980 to 2020, compactness index, fractal dimension, imbalance index, location entropy and the optimal parameters-based geographical detector(OPGD) model are used to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of the morphological characteristics of rural settlements, and to explore the influence of natural geographical factors, socioeconomic factors, and policy factors on the spatial differentiation of rural settlements. The results show that:(1) From 1980 to 2020, the rural settlements area in Liangshan Prefecture increased by 15.96 km^(2). In space, the rural settlements are generally distributed in a local aggregation, dense in the middle and sparse around the periphery. In 2015, the spatial density and expansion index of rural settlements reached the peak.(2) From 1980 to 2020, the compactness index decreased from 0.7636 to 0.7496, the fractal dimension increased from 1.0283 to 1.0314, and the fragmentation index decreased from 0.1183 to 0.1047. The spatial morphological structure of rural settlements tended to be loose, the shape contour tended to be complex, the degree of fragmentation decreased, and the spatial distribution was significantly imbalanced.(3) The results of OPGD detection in 2015 show that the influence of each factor is slope(0.2371) > traffic accessibility(0.2098) > population(0.1403) > regional GDP(0.1325) > elevation(0.0987) > poverty alleviation(0). The results of OPGD detection in 2020 show that the influence of each factor is slope(0.2339) > traffic accessibility(0.2198) > population(0.1432) > regional GDP(0.1219) > poverty alleviation(0.0992) > elevation(0.093). Natural geographical factors(slope and elevation) are the basic factors affecting the spatial distribution of rural settlements, and rural settlements are widely distributed in the river valley plain and the second half mountain area. Socioeconomic factors(traffic accessibility, population, and regional GDP) have a greater impact on the spatial distribution of rural settlements, which is an important factor affecting the spatial distribution of rural settlements. Policy factors such as poverty alleviation relocation have an indispensable impact on the spatial distribution of rural settlements. The research results can provide decisionmaking basis for the spatial arrangement of rural settlements in Liangshan Prefecture, and optimize the implementation of rural revitalization policies.

Resilience effects for household food expenditure and dietary diversity in rural western China

A more resilient livelihood is increasingly recognized as an efficient way to improve vulnerable households’food security and optimize their dietary decisions.This study quantifies rural household resilience in western China,identifies the three pillars(absorptive capacity,adaptive capacity,and transformative capacity)contribution to resilience,and then establishes the estimated Resilience Capacity Index(RCI)linked with food security and dietary diversity supported by the multiple indicator multiple cause(MIMIC)model.Results show that,despite geographical heterogeneity,the RCI consistently increased from 2015 to 2021.Households with a higher RCI inheriting better capacity to deal with risk and shocks are significantly and positively correlated with increasing food expenditure and diversifying food choices.It can be because resilient households will allocate more money to food expenditure instead of saving for livelihood uncertainty.Thus,policymakers can provide more incentives for rural households to adopt more dynamic and effective risk management strategies.This,in turn,could yield positive spillover effects by preventing human capital loss associated with dietary-related chronic diseases and mortality.

Attributes of Specialized Households'Resilience and Its Impact on Rural Industrial Advancement:A Case Study of National Musical Instrument Production Specialized Households in Lankao County,Henan,China

Specialized households serve as the primary units within specialized villages in China,and their capacity to withstand risks and external influences significantly shapes the future trajectory of specialized villages and the overall vitality of the rural economy.In this study,we established a measurement indicator system based on the definition of specialized households’resilience,elucidating the logical connection between specialized households’resilience and rural industrial development in China.The musical instrument industry in Lankao County,Henan Province of China,was employed as a case;survey data,the entropy method,and an obstacle diagnosis model were used to examine how instrument production specialized households responded to the challenges posed by Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19)and the tightening of national environmental protection policies,yielding the following key findings:1)there exists substantial variation in the comprehensive resilience levels among different specialized households;2)the ability to learn and adapt is the most significant contributor to the overall resilience level of specialized households;3)technological proficiency and access to skilled talent emerge as pivotal factors influencing specialized households’resilience;4)the positioning of specialized households within the industrial supply chain and the stability of their income have a direct bearing on their resilience level.The influence of specialized households’resilience on industrial development primarily manifests in the following ways:stronger resilience correlates with increased stability in production and sales,fostering a more proactive approach to future actions.However,heightened exposure to the external macroeconomic environment can lead to a higher rate of export reduction.To enhance the development resilience of entities like specialized households and family farms,and to invigorate rural economic development,escalating investments in rural science and technology and prioritizing the training of technical talent become imperative.

New Rural Community Construction or Retention Development:A Comparative Analysis of Rural Settlement Transition Mechanism in Plain Agriculture Area of China Based on Actor Network Theory

It is an important way to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development to guide rural settlement transition(RST)in an appropriate way.This paper uses actor network theory(ANT)to construct a theoretical framework for the study of RST.Taking two typical villages with different transition paths in rural areas of North China Plain as examples,this paper reveals the mechanism of RST and makes a comparative analysis.The results show that:1)after identifying problems and obligatory passage point,key actors recruit heterogeneous actors into the actor network by entrusting them with common interests,and realize RST under the system operation.2)Rural settlements under different transition paths have similarities in the problems to be solved,collective actions and policy factors,but there are differences in the transition process,mechanism and effect.The actor network and mechanism of RST through the path of new rural community construction are more complex and the transition effect is more thorough.In contrast,the degree of RST of retention development path is limited if there is no resource and location advantage.3)Based on the applicable conditions of different paths,this paper designs a logical framework of‘Situation-Structure-Behavior-Result’to scientifically guide the identification of RST paths under the background of rural revitalization.

How Does E-Commerce Policy Affect Consumption Disparities of Rural Households?-Evidence from China

In the context of China’s ongoing efforts to promote countryside revitalization and facilitate domestic economic circulation,it is of great significance to reduce the consumption disparity among rural households and unleash the consumption potential in the countryside.Based on data from China Family Panel Studies,this paper adopts a staggered difference-in-differences method to assess the impact of the e-commerce to enter rural areas on the consumption disparity among rural households.Findings:the comprehensive demonstration work of promoting e-commerce to enter rural areas has reduced the consumption disparity among rural households through the following mechanisms.Firstly,this policy initiative has mitigated the consumption-inhibiting effect on rural household consumption due to the local market size and external market accessibility by promoting the distribution of consumer goods to villages.Secondly,this policy initiative has also increased the agricultural income of rural households and reduced their consumption disparity by distributing farm produce to cities and enhancing the agricultural income of rural households.Moreover,the work is characterized by inclusive growth and is not susceptible to the“elite capture”phenomenon.

Analyzing the transportation infrastructure-rural industry integration relationship in China

Transportation infrastructure is crucial to China’s economic growth because it substantially contributes to the holistic development of rural primary,secondary,and tertiary industries.This study innovatively examines transportation infrastructure and urbanization levels to explore,both theoretically and empirically,their relationship with the holistic development of primary,secondary,and tertiary industries in rural China,and the mediating role of urbanization on this relationship.We employed fixed-effects models,the entropy weight approach,mixed regression,and generalized method of moments to analyze the data of 30 provinces across China from 2013 to 2020.The results indicate that the construction of transportation infrastructure directly fosters the collective advancement of such industries in rural areas and that urbanization partially mediates the transportation infrastructure-rural industry integration relationship.However,the western region shows disparities in the integrated development of these sectors.Further analysis reveals that foreign investments amplify the positive influence of transportation infrastructure on rural industry integration.Essentially,the enhancement of rural transportation infrastructure,promotion of urbanization,implementation of strategic planning,and strengthening of support mechanisms are crucial aspects in the comprehensive development of rural industries and the achievement of rural revitalization in China.

Accelerating the Digitalization Process in Rural China and Promoting Common Prosperity

Under the historical background of promoting agricultural and rural modernization in an all-round way,this paper deeply analyzes the practical significance of digital construction in rural China,and explores the problems in the digitalization level of rural infrastructure,farmers digitalization awareness and accomplishment,and agricultural digital system.Countermeasures and suggestions are put forward from four aspects:digital village construction policy system,rural digital infrastructure construction,rural digital talent cultivation system,and agricultural digital system,and the rural digital construction of Huzhou City is taken as an example,in order to further realize the goal of empowering rural farmers with digital technology for common prosperity.

Young Entrepreneurs Help Revitalize Rural Areas in China

Passion and effort are what led to Wang Jing becoming a CEO in her 20s.She took on the role in June 2022.Though the e-commerce company she runs has only 10 employees,it’s playing a big role in boosting the economy of the village where she was born.Wang,26,is one of the many village CEOs taking up roles across China in recent years.

Integrating Salt Culture into Rural Revitalization: Planning and Design of a Thematic Creative Agricultural Garden in Jintan, Jiangsu, China

This research establishes a strategic framework for developing a salt culture-themed agricultural garden in Jintan,Jiangsu to boost rural vibrancy and cultural tourism while honoring local salt heritage.It employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)for a data-driven and structured approach to evaluate the sustainability and cultural significance of agricultural initiatives.This framework ensures a balanced blend of agriculture,culture,and tourism to foster a sustainable and culturally rich experience.The study highlights the value of structured methodologies in planning culturally impactful agricultural projects.

Spatial Distribution Pattern and Influencing Factors of Bed-and-breakfasts(B&Bs)from the Perspective of Urban-rural Differences:A Case Study of Jiaodong Peninsula,China

There are significant differences between urban and rural bed-and-breakfasts(B&Bs)in terms of customer positioning,economic strength and spatial carrier.Accurately identifying the differences in spatial characteristics and influencing factors of each type,is essential for creating urban and rural B&B agglomeration areas.This study used density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise(DBSCAN)and the multi-scale geographically weighted regression(MGWR)model to explore similarities and differences in the spatial distribution patterns and influencing factors for urban and rural B&Bs on the Jiaodong Peninsula of China from 2010 to 2022.The results showed that:1)both urban and rural B&Bs in Jiaodong Peninsula went through three stages:a slow start from 2010 to 2015,rapid development from 2015 to 2019,and hindered development from 2019 to 2022.However,urban B&Bs demonstrated a higher development speed and agglomeration intensity,leading to an increasingly evident trend of uneven development between the two sectors.2)The clustering scale of both urban and rural B&Bs continued to expand in terms of quantity and volume.Urban B&B clusters characterized by a limited number,but a higher likelihood of transitioning from low-level to high-level clusters.While the number of rural B&B clusters steadily increased over time,their clustering scale was comparatively lower than that of urban B&Bs,and they lacked the presence of high-level clustering.3)In terms of development direction,urban B&B clusters exhibited a relatively stable pattern and evolved into high-level clustering centers within the main urban areas.Conversely,rural B&Bs exhibited a more pronounced spatial diffusion effect,with clusters showing a trend of multi-center development along the coastline.4)Transport emerged as a common influencing factor for both urban and rural B&Bs,with the density of road network having the strongest explanatory power for their spatial distribution.In terms of differences,population agglomeration had a positive impact on the distribution of urban B&Bs and a negative effect on the distribution of rural B&Bs.Rural B&Bs clustering was more influenced by tourism resources compared with urban B&Bs,but increasing tourist stay duration remains an urgent issue to be addressed.The findings of this study could provide a more precise basis for government planning and management of urban and rural B&B agglomeration areas.

Rural transformation,income growth,and poverty reduction by region in China in the past four decades

China has experienced rapid rural transformation in the past four decades.Accompanying the rapid transformation is a significant rise in rural household income and a substantial fall in rural poverty.This paper examines the evolutions of and the relationships between rural transformation(high-value agriculture and rural non-farm employment)and its outcomes(per capita rural income and rural poverty incidence)using provincial-level data.The results show that 31 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities have undergone significant rural transformation,but the level and speed of rural transformation differed considerably.Moreover,an increased level of rural transformation is often associated with higher per capita rural income and reduced rural poverty incidence.Notably,a category of provincial rural transformation based on high-value agriculture and rural non-farm employment is also analyzed.We further discuss the likely impacts of institutions,policies,and investments(IPIs)on rural transformation and conclude with policy implications.

Spatial Coupling Relationship and Driving Mechanism of Population and Economy in Rural Areas in Qinling-Daba Mountains,China

Addressing the issue of the healthy and coordinated development of the population and economic factors in rural areas will not only help consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation,but will also lay a foundation for comprehensive rural revitalization.In this paper,the spatial coupling relationship between the population and economic factors in rural areas in the QinlingDaba Mountains,China,is explored to provide a reference for rural revitalization and regional sustainable development in poverty areas.Sixty-eight county units in rural areas in the Qinling-Daba Mountains,as well as the population and economic factors in rural areas,are used to study the spatial coupling relationship between population and economy,as well as the driving mechanism,in rural areas in the Qinling-Daba Mountains from 2010 to 2020.The results show that a population contraction phenomenon occurred in the rural areas in the Qinling-Daba Mountains,and the spatial agglomeration trends of the population and economic factors were consistent.The agglomeration was mainly located in the suburban areas of the municipal area,and the agglomeration degree was significantly higher in these areas than in other areas.In terms of the spatial distribution,the economic development level of the rural areas in the northeastern part of the Qinling-Daba Mountains was generally higher than that in the central and western parts,and the unbalanced trends of the population and economic spatial differentiation in the eastern and western regions were significant.The spatial coupling relationship between the population and economy changed from coordinated development to economic advancement.This was mainly due to the mutual restriction and joint actions of the industrial structure,capital situation,natural environment,policies,and institutional regulations,among which the industrial structure and capital status had significant effects.

Trade-off and Synergy of Rural Functions Under County Depopulation in the Typical Black Soil Region of Northeast China

As the population continues to shrink in the black soil region of Northeast China since 2000,it is critical to master the impact of population shrinkage on rural functions to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development.In this study,we focused on the impacts of depopulation on the evolution and interrelationship of rural subfunctions.Based on the rural function indexes system,the TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution)method,spatial analysis method,and mathematical statistics analysis method were used to summarize the spatial and temporal characteristics of rural function development,as well as the effect of population shrinkage in the typical black soil region of Northeast China.The results showed that depopulation varied in the extent and duration between the forested region and plain areas,which both impacted the trajectories of rural subfunctions evolution.For the economic development function and ecological conservation function,the effect of continuous slight depopulation was beneficial,while the effect of rapid depopulation was adverse,which was exactly opposite to the agricultural production function.All forms of population shrinkage were conducive to the development of the social security function.With the deepening population shrinkage,depopulation mainly promoted the collaborative development between subfunctions in this study,except the relationship between agricultural production and social security function.But effects of depopulation on the interrelationship of rural subfunctions varied between the forested region and plain areas in some cases.The results provided evidence for the cognition that population shrinkage had complicated effects on rural subfunctions.

What Drives Migrants Back to Set up Firms?Return-home Entrepreneurial Intention of Rural Migrant Workers in China

The extant literature on international immigrants has discussed migrants’entrepreneurial activities in the context of Western countries but has paid little attention to return-home entrepreneurial intention(RHEI).Rural migrant workers(RMWs)in China,who used to promote rural development by remittances and were characterized by similarities with early international migrants,have gradually returned to their hometowns to initiate entrepreneurial activities.Based on the structured questionnaire conducted in 2015 and 2020in Anhui Province,China,this article combines the concept of mixed embeddedness with the idea of double-layered embeddedness and analyzes the impacts of the social,economic and institutional context in RMWs’hometowns and migration destinations on RMWs’RHEI by using binary logistic regression.The article shows that the social,economic,and institutional environments of RMWs’hometowns and migration destinations have effects on their RHEI.The embeddedness in the economic and informal institutional context in RMWs’RHEI is even more important than personal characteristics.Compared with migration destinations,RMWs’hometowns exert a more influential effect on their RHEI.However,that does not mean that the role of migration destinations can be undervalued.Actually,the better the social,economic,and institutional environments of migration destinations RMWs moved into is,the higher entrepreneurial intention they will have after returning to their hometowns.The article proposes a modified framework in combination of mixed embeddedness with double-layer embeddedness and proves that it is suitable for analyzing RMWs’RHEI.The framework has important implications for strengthening China’s RMWs to return home to start their own businesses.

Spatio-temporal Evolution of the Rural Regional System and Its Evolution Mechanism in Huang-Huai-Hai Area of China

The problem of rural development arises from the evolution of rural regional system.It is urgent to deepen the research on the evolution process and mechanism of rural regional system.However,there are relatively few studies on rural development from the perspective of the evolution process,driving mechanism and evolution mechanism of rural regional system.Therefore,this study took Huang-Huai-Hai Area for example,started with the systematicness of the rural regional system,the spatio-temporal pattern and driving mechanism of rural regional system evolution,and further summarized and refined the evolution mechanism of the rural regional system.The methods of spatial pattern analysis,gray correlation degree and geographical detection were adopted.The results showed that the problems in rural areas were often dominated by one factor and produced by the joint action of many factors.Factors such as county urbanization,county economy,county public service,agricultural mechanization,surrounding cities and convenient transportation will affect the evolution of rural regional systems.Based on the evolution of the elements in the rural regional system,the evolution types of rural regional system can be divided into decline type,equilibrium type and growth type.This study can provide a reference for understanding the process of rural rise and fall and can also guide rural revitalization and rural sustainable development.

Developing Ecological Agricultural Engineering to Promote Rural Revitalization in China

Ecological agricultural engineering is a necessary innovation and expansion of China’s agricultural engineering science and technology that aims to meet the overall, the whole chain and the coordinated development needs of the whole system for rural revitalization. Focusing on ecological agricultural engineering, this paper introduces its development and early practice and technology, and also discusses its development direction, development path, and important role in boosting rural revitalization. The development of ecological agricultural engineering will play an important role in China’s agricultural production practice, agricultural engineering discipline construction and agricultural and rural modernization.

The impact of the Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)Program on child nutrition outcomes

The Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)is an important unconditional cash transfer program to alleviate poverty in rural China.Despite the importance of children’s nutrition in breaking poverty cycles,little is known about the impact of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes.Using China Family Panel Studies(CFPS),this paper examines the effects of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes and investigates potential pathways and heterogeneous effects.We exploit propensity score matching and difference-in-differences techniques to evaluate the effects of the Rural Dibao program on child nutrition outcomes.Our results suggest that Rural Dibao significantly impacts the nutrition outcomes of children up to 15 years of age.Specifically,our results suggest that Rural Dibao improves child height-to-age z-scores by 1.05 standard deviations and lowers the probability of stunting by 11.9 percentage points.Additional analyses suggest that increased protein intake is the main pathway through which Rural Dibao participation contributes to better nutrition outcomes.We also find that the effect of the program is more pronounced among girls,children who are non-left-behind or live with highly educated mothers,and those from low-income families and poor areas.Our findings suggest that Rural Dibao participation helps improve child nutrition outcomes through improving diet quality.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Urban-rural Construction Land in Rural Industrialized Areas in China:Case Studies in Changyuan City and Xinxiang County of Henan Province

Since China’s reform and opening up in 1978,the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization in China had led to dramatic changes in the pattern of urban-rural land use.In this paper,we focused on the rural industrialized areas in central China(Xinxiang County and Changyuan City of Henan Province).We used the average nearest neighbor index,spatial statistical analysis,and a structural equation model to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of urban-rural construction land based on multisource spatial data and survey data.The results showed that:1)from 1975 to 2019,the spatial distribution of urban-rural construction land in rural industrialized areas had evolved from homogeneous distribution to local agglomeration.In terms of comparative analysis of cases,the spatial distribution of urban-rural construction land in Changyuan City had shown a trend from diffusion to agglomeration,and Xinxiang County had overall shown a spatial change from homogenization to agglomeration and then to regional integration development.2)The hot spots with increased urban-rural construction land significantly expanded,and they had a high degree of spatial overlap with industrial development.Among them,Xinxiang County was concentrated in central and marginal areas,and Changyuan was mainly concentrated in central urban areas.3)From the evolution of spatial proximity of urban-rural construction land,rural industrialized areas generally decline,showing the characteristics of internal differentiation in the rate of change.4)Industrial development,social economy,the policy environment,and urban development played a positive role in promoting the expansion of urban-rural construction land in rural industrialized areas.To promote the optimal use of regional land and the integrated development of urban-rural areas,we should combine the advantages of regional endowment,formulate development strategies according to local conditions,and adjust the way that land is used in a timely manner.

Spatial Distribution of Different Types of Villages for Rural Revitalization Strategy and Their Influencing Factors:A Case of Jilin Province,China

Village classification is the first step to implementing China’s rural revitalization(RR)strategy,and understanding the geographic differences in the distribution of village types helps to grasp the pathway of their unique development.This study spatialized9250 villages in Jilin Province(divided into six types)of China,and their distribution characteristics and influencing factors were examined using methods such as kernel density estimation,Ripley’s K function,the co-location quotient,and Geodetector.The results indicate that the spatial distribution balance and density of village types are different.All types of villages show an agglomeration distribution pattern,but the scale and intensity vary.There is a strong spatial association between agglomerative promotion(AP)and stable improvement(SIm)villages,as well as between characteristic protection(CP)and prospering frontier and enriching people(PE)villages.The factors affecting their distribution include terrain undulation,the percentage of arable land,the distance to the county town,road network density,population density,gross domestic product(GDP),and industrial enterprise density.The influencing factors for the distribution of village types are closely related to the function of each village.Based on the differences in the spatial distribution and influencing factors of different village types,policy suggestions are given for classified development.