Does Non-Food Cultivation of Cropland Increase Farmers’ Income?

Abstract

The production of cash crops is often regarded as an effective way to increase farmers’ income. This study evaluates the impact of non-food cultivation of cropland on farmers’ income by using the least-squares (OLS) model in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Farmers are further divided into different groups according to their income levels to analyze the different impacts of non-food cultivation on their household income. The result shows that non-food cultivation has a significant negative effect on farmers’ income, with a more pronounced effect on farmers with a relatively low income. Accordingly, the increase in the proportion of cash crops that are grown does not increase the income of farmers in Zhejiang; instead, this harms their income. Therefore, farmers in Zhejiang should not rely on the cultivation of cash crops for their prosperity but must focus on participating in non-farm employment to increase their household income.

Does the Integrated Development of Agriculture and Tourism Promote Farmers’ Income Growth? Evidence from Southwestern China

“…In Equation ( 6), the mediating variable M it has a significant positive impact on farmers' income, and the regression coefficient of DID it decreases after adding the mediating variable; that is, [80,81]. The core explanatory variable is the integrated development of agriculture and tourism, which reflects the integration of agriculture and tourism to achieve the goal of coordinated development from economic, ecological, and social aspects.…”