Can agricultural export trade openness improve residents' health in China

Abstract

Agricultural trade, a vital component of the global trading system, significantly influences residents' health. This paper employs data from the 2010-2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) to conduct the first comprehensive analysis of the impacts of agricultural export trade openness on residents' health and the underlying mechanisms. The study reveals that agricultural export trade openness markedly enhances the health level of Chinese residents. The impact of agricultural export trade openness on the health of populations in different geographical areas and with different characteristics is heterogeneous. Mechanism analysis shows that the opening up of agricultural product export trade affects residents' health levels through three pathways: household income, working hours, and agrochemical use. This paper contributes new empirical evidence on the determinants of residents' health from a trade perspective, offering valuable insights for advancing agricultural trade openness and improving residents' health.