The Effect of High-Standard Farmland Construction Policy on Grain Harvest Losses in China

Abstract

The United Nations included reducing harvest losses as a Sustainable Development Goal in 2015, sparking heightened research and policymaker interest in reducing losses to ensure food security. High-standard farmland construction plays a crucial role in ensuring food security. Few studies have combined high-standard farmland construction with grain harvest losses. Drawing on the data from the 2022 Chinese Post-Harvest Loss Survey (CPHLS 2022), the study utilizes OLS (ordinary least square) and quantile regression models to explore the impact of high-standard farmland construction on grain harvest losses. Empirical results show that high-standard farmland construction can significantly reduce grain harvest losses. The research conclusions are still valid after passing a series of robustness tests. The heterogeneity analysis shows that high-standard farmland construction significantly impacts on grain harvest losses for farmers in major grain-producing areas, plain areas, and eastern regions. Mechanism analysis reveals that high-standard farmland construction mainly reduces grain harvest losses by expanding operational scale and enhancing mechanization application. Based on research findings, the Chinese government should formulate a targeted high-standard farmland construction policy, optimize the agricultural machinery operating environment, and promote appropriate operational scale to ensure national food security.