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Does the rural digital economy enhance green total factor productivity of agriculture? An empirical approach using double machine learning

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction In the context of the green transformation of agriculture, the digital economy offers a novel pathway to mitigate environmental externalities and operational inefficiencies. Recognizing that agricultural digitalisation relies heavily on the spillover of macro-level digital resources, this study constructs a multidimensional rural digital economy (RDE) framework. Methods Employing a double machine learning (DML) model on a panel dataset of 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2022, we empirically investigate the impact of the RDE on agricultural green total factor productivity (GTFP). Results We find that: (1) The RDE exerts a positive effect on GTFP. Dimensional analysis strictly confirms that digital industry development and industrial digital transformation have positive linkages with this productivity growth, whereas basic infrastructure alone is insufficient. (2) Mechanism analyses demonstrate that the RDE empowers green agriculture by optimizing inter-sectoral factor allocation and significantly reducing agricultural polluting energy intensity; however, the mediating role of government digital policy attention is not statistically established. (3) To accurately capture asymmetric effects, group-based heterogeneity tests reveal that the empowerment effect of the RDE is significantly stronger in provinces with larger cultivated scales. Discussion These findings indicate that the RDE currently empowers green agriculture primarily through structural factor reallocation and precision energy management rather than immediate technological leaps. To overcome hardware-software structural lags and mitigate scale disadvantages faced by smallholders, policymakers should pivot toward enhancing farmers’ digital literacy, expanding shared digital socialized services, and implementing market-based environmental governance.

Source: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2026.1856495

Authors: Mingyi Huang, Mengshuai Zhu, Jijie Yu, Chen Shen, Dongyan Jin, Jianzhai Wu

Institutions: Agricultural Information Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Digitalization and Economic Development in Agriculture

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Decent work and economic growth, Zero hunger, Climate action, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,353