Enhancing agricultural production and environmental benefits through full mechanization: Experimental evidence from China

Abstract

Straw burning poses a significant threat to the environment and is a major governance challenge for many developing countries. Full agriculture mechanization production (FAMP) is an important measure to improve agricultural production efficiency and achieve agricultural modernization, playing a crucial role in mechanizing straw treatment. Based on agricultural production panel data and satellite remote sensing data in China, this study analyzes the effects of FAMP on farmers’ straw burning practices and their mechanisms using a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) model. The results indicate that FAMP directly reduces straw burning and indirectly reduces it by increasing the use of agricultural machinery and grain output. Heterogeneity analysis shows that in areas where large and medium-sized agricultural machinery is mainly used, where the terrain is flat and the concentration of farmland is high, FAMP exhibits a more pronounced effect in reducing straw burning. FAMP has brought significant environmental benefits by curbing straw burning and thereby reducing PM_2.5 concentration. Therefore, it is necessary to actively cultivate an integrated service market covering straw collection, storage, transportation, and final resource utilization, leveraging the important role of FAMP in promoting sustainable straw treatment. This study provides a useful reference for crop straw management and the formulation of sustainable agricultural development policies in developing countries.