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How do productive service inputs enhance a country’s position in the global agricultural value chain?

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction The ongoing restructuring of global agricultural value chains has reshaped the pattern of international agricultural competition. Optimizing countries’ positional structure within production networks and improving domestic value added capture capacity have emerged as central issues for advancing highquality agricultural development across economies. As modern productive services gradually penetrate agricultural production systems, they have evolved into critical endogenous drivers for optimizing agricultural factor allocation and promoting value chain upgrading. Methods Based on panel data of 55 economies from 2001 to 2020, this study employs fixed-effects models, mediation models, and moderation models to systematically explore how productive service inputs affect a country’s positions in the global agricultural value chain and clarify the underlying influencing mechanisms. Results The empirical results show that productive service input significantly improves a country’s agricultural GVC status. Mechanism tests confirm that productive services empower GVC upgrading through two core pathways: improving agricultural labor productivity and facilitating technological innovation. Meanwhile, the promotional effect is positively strengthened by increasing technical complexity in agricultural exports and human capital accumulation. Further heterogeneity analysis verifies evident differences in the empowerment effect across economic development levels, time periods, and GVC participation patterns. Discussion This study concludes that accelerating high quality productive service inputs and matching them with advanced human capital and export technology endowments provides a vital feasible path for countries to enhance their competitive advantages and achieve highvalue upgrading in global agricultural value chains.

Source: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1887232

Authors: Longling Li, Xin Bai, Yuhan Ren, Qiang Jin

Institutions: Northwest University of Politics and Law, China Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Global trade, sustainability, and social impact

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Zero hunger, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,353