Can Agricultural Machinery Harvesting Services Reduce Cropland Abandonment? Evidence from Rural China

Ending hunger, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture are the main targets of development goals. It is well known that cropland resources most essential factor in However, China has been facing problem a continuous reduction resources. Reducing abandonment become an important way to curb Can agricultural machinery harvesting services reduce rural China? To answer this scientific question, study employs Survey for Agriculture Village Economy data from 8345 samples 12 provinces China. The extended regression models (i.e., probit model interval model) used empirically analyze relationship between accessed by farmers abandonment. results as follows. Agricultural significantly reduced probability proportion area abandoned farmers’ contracted decreased 18.5% 20.3%, respectively. Moreover, heterogeneity analysis showed access small-scale groups, without elderly households, with nonagricultural income eastern region. This also provides some policy implications policymakers