Sales Scale, Non-Pastoral Employment and Herders’ Technology Adoption: Evidence from Pastoral China

Abstract

The adoption of livestock husbandry technologies has been an important factor affecting the welfare of herders and the efficiency of grazing-based livestock production and grassland protection in China’s pastoral areas. The small-scale herder is the main body of grassland-based grazing husbandry, and so technology adoption is particularly important, though it is currently scarce. To identify the factors influencing technology adoption behavior by Chinese herders, especially its effect on the scale of livestock sales and non-pastoral employment (NPE), we conducted a survey in the Gansu and Qinghai provinces of China with a sample of 296 herder households. The results show that the scale of livestock sale promotes the adoption of technology, while non-pastoral employment has a generally negative effect. In detail, the substitution effect of NPE is positive, but the wealth effect is negative. In addition, NPE and its wealth effect have moderating effects that can enhance the effect of the sales scale on the adoption of herders’ technology. After distinguishing the technologies into profit-seeking technology and pro-environmental technology, we found that NPE and its substitution effect have a significant influence on pro-environmental technology, while the wealth effect has a significant impact on both profit-seeking and pro-environmental technology. Environmental awareness and altruism also have significant positive impacts on pro-environmental technology. These findings are relevant to policy implications dealing with technology adoption in pastoral areas.

Would consumers help achieve sustainable development in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau with a forage–livestock balance certification label?

“…While the literature has suggested that beef cattle turned off at an old age harms grassland and the environment, most yaks in the Tibetan plateau are not slaughtered until relatively old age. Possible reasons include (1) there is an insufficient amount of grass or forge in the cold seasons in the plateau, thus yaks need to be fed for a long period before reaching a sufficient weight for sale or slaughter (Song et al ., 2014); (2) Buddhism has a long and deep influence in Tibet and most herders are Tibetan Buddhists (Huang et al ., 2022; Harris, 2010; Wang et al ., 2015). Herders with such religion are reluctant to kill animals including yak cattle; (3) Herders treat having a large number of livestock as a risk avoidance mechanism against frequent natural disasters (Harris, 2010).…”

“…(2) Buddhism has a long and deep influence in Tibet and most herders are Tibetan Buddhists (Huang et al, 2022;Harris, 2010;Wang et al, 2015). Herders with such religion are reluctant to kill animals including yak cattle; (3) Herders treat having a large number of livestock as a risk avoidance mechanism against frequent natural disasters (Harris, 2010).…”