The Impact of Adopting Green Control Technologies on Farmers’ Income: Based on Research Data from Tea Farmers in 16 Provinces of China

Abstract

The adoption of green control technologies in agriculture is an important approach to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products, address agricultural pollution from its source, and promote increased productivity and income in agriculture, thereby driving high-quality agricultural development. This paper is based on production and operation data from 2,155 tea farmers in 16 major tea-producing provinces in China. Using an endogenous transformation model from the perspective of the value chain, it empirically analyzes the impact of adopting green control technologies on tea farmers' income and draws three conclusions. First, the adoption of green control technologies significantly promotes income growth for tea farmers. Second, the awareness of tea farmers regarding pesticide residue limits and the exchange of pest control techniques among tea farmers significantly enhance the adoption of green control technologies. Third, the income effects of adopting green control technologies differ across different stages of the value chain, with the income growth in the cultivation stage being lower than that in the processing and marketing stages. Finally, based on the analysis and relevant research by scholars, four targeted suggestions are proposed: (1) Increase efforts to promote the adoption of green control technologies and enhance farmers' willingness to adopt them. (2) Promote education and training on green control technologies for tea farmers. (3) Ensure fair distribution of benefits along the agricultural value chain. (4) Strengthen the promotion of green control technologies at the market and consumer end.