Journal of Rural Studies最新文献

{"title":"A critical evaluation of the potential of an online agricultural forum as a space for supporting farmer well-being","authors":"Jennifer Howse ,&nbsp;David Rose ,&nbsp;Katharina Watson ,&nbsp;Damian Maye ,&nbsp;Lisa Morgans","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Farming is associated with low levels of individual well-being with recent research exploring influencing factors, resulting consequences and potential support opportunities. Exploration of how online peer-to-peer interactions may support farmer well-being is yet to be fully explored despite suggestions that many turn to the internet when facing farming challenges. This original research study examined the potential of an online agriculturally focused forum, The Farming Forum (TFF), as a space for supporting farmer well-being, exploring the more varied formats of peer support and building on existing landscapes of support literature. Forum posts were analyzed using methods of sentiment analysis, classification of forum participant behavior, and reflexive thematic analysis. TFF acts as an information repository for farmers, based heavily on the lived experiences of those farming within the UK and beyond. This study revealed the willingness of farmers to share experiential knowledge they felt would benefit others with likely positive impacts on the well-being of those involved. Whilst there may have been more limited explicit reference to individual well-being outside of a specific ‘suicidal thoughts’ discussion thread,findings suggested TFF could enable and host conversations around farmer wellbeing. TFF offered a space for farmers to hold discussions with like-minded individuals and allowed them to seek advice or information anonymously. Whilst there appeared some limitations surrounding the forums' ability to professionally support farmer well-being due to the potential for negative remarks and disclosure of identifying information, these could be overcome with a degree of forum management. TFF likely has an influence on the well-being of those farmers utilizing the forum and this paper offers a starting point for further research in this area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104027"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity evolution pattern of rural settlements and its driving mechanism transition: A case study in Southwest China's karst mountains","authors":"Yuxuan Xie ,&nbsp;Linyu Yang ,&nbsp;Libang Ma ,&nbsp;Yiyi Zhang ,&nbsp;Xue Ren ,&nbsp;Yangbing Li ,&nbsp;Luanyu Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current evolution patterns and driving mechanisms of rural settlements (RS) in China's Southwest karst mountainous areas are undergoing significant changes. However, existing literature predominantly focuses on their spatial distribution, with a notable lack of long-term studies examining the evolution and responses of RS types to rural transformation. This paper constructs a theoretical framework for the transition and evolution of RS diversity in these karst regions. Using Huajiang Canyon in Guizhou Province as a representative case study, this analysis reveals the patterns and driving mechanisms of RS evolution between 1969 and 2023. The findings indicate that: (1) RS's area in Huajiang Canyon exhibits an overall upward trend, with RS on depression experiencing more pronounced growth than RS's slower expansion on slopeland. (2) The primary driver of settlement evolution and spatial reconfiguration has shifted from a historical focus on proximity to cultivated land towards a contemporary emphasis on quality of life. (3) The study area displays diverse human-land relationships and livelihood strategies, consequently leading to varied RS evolutionary paths characterized by expansion, decline, and abandonment. (4) From the perspective of synergistic development within the “human-settlement -ecology” system, this paper proposes optimization strategies for different evolving RS types in the study area. These results provide valuable insights for RS transformation, restructuring, and rural revitalization initiatives, both in the karst mountainous regions of Southwest China and in mountainous areas of developing countries globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104052"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does rural out-migration contribute to cropland-use intensification transition? Evidence from cropping farms in China","authors":"Wenhui Zhang ,&nbsp;Xinli Ke ,&nbsp;Chengchao Zuo ,&nbsp;Lijie He ,&nbsp;Vivian Wei Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the transition of cropland use from labor-intensive to capital-intensive is crucial for sustaining food supply in the context of rural labor shortage driven by China's rapid urbanization. Using household-level panel data from China's National Fixed-Point Survey (2003–2021) and an instrumental-variable estimation strategy that uses village-level out-migration rates excluding the focal household as instruments, we explore the correlation between rural out-migration and cropland use change. The results show that rural out-migration reduces per-household cropland area, lowers the proportion of cropland allocated for highly labor-intensive crops, and decreased the share of highly capital-intensive crops. Notably, the decline in share of highly capital-intensive crops is concentrated among households that rely predominantly on non-agricultural income. These outcomes suggest that rural out-migration has impeded the anticipated shift toward capital-intensive cropland use, owing to heterogeneous household behaviors: non-agricultural households tend to allocate remittances toward non-farm consumption rather than agricultural investment, whereas agricultural households face scale constraints that limit capital investment. We propose targeted policies, including enhanced support for agricultural machinery and land consolidation for agricultural households, as well as measures to promote more efficient land-use arrangements among non-agricultural households, in order to advance capital-intensive cropland use and reduce land-use inefficiency and abandonment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104005"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sowing the seeds of change: unveiling farmer types to promote climate-smart agriculture adoption in Europe","authors":"Marilena Gemtou ,&nbsp;Marcel Kornelis ,&nbsp;Gohar Isakhanyan ,&nbsp;Søren Marcus Pedersen ,&nbsp;Spyros Fountas ,&nbsp;Liselotte Puggaard ,&nbsp;Jon Bienzobas Adrian ,&nbsp;Alexia Izco Zabalza","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) promises to provide a triple win in economic viability, food security and climate change mitigation. This study develops a European farmer typology to enhance the adoption of CSA by combining two research streams, the COM-B behavioural-change theory and segmentation research. Using a survey of 603 farmers from five European countries (Denmark, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain), the study applies a systematic approach, examining capability, opportunity and motivation factors of the COM-B model. Data analysis resulted into classifying farmers into four types: <em>environmentalists, constrained, indifferents, and traditionalists</em>. The farmer typology reveals that all components of the COM-B model were useful to differentiate the four farmer groups. <em>Environmentalists</em> express high intention to adopt CSA, motivated both internally, by capabilities and motivation, and externally by the opportunities in the social and food systems environments. <em>Constrained</em> farmers share similar intentions but face significant barriers in physical opportunities, such as limited access to markets and credit, policy framework and market willingness to pay. <em>Indifferents,</em> despite sharing some commonalities with constrained farmers, they demonstrate low interest in CSA mainly due to lower levels of psychological capabilities and motivation. Finally, the <em>traditionalists</em> face the strongest barriers in capability, opportunity and motivation in the transition to CSA. This research contributes to the literature by providing a holistic and systematic approach to segment farmers based on key barriers and drivers in adopting CSA and linking these with four categories of tailored strategy and policy interventions aiming to enhance CSA adoption across diverse farming contexts in Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104043"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agricultural technology extension reform and productivity growth: Evidence from rural China","authors":"Heer Wang ,&nbsp;Bo Chen ,&nbsp;Zhichen Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amid the dual challenges of global population growth and climate change, enhancing agricultural productivity has become critical to global food security. This study exploits China's 2009 reform of its grassroots agricultural technology extension system as a quasi-natural experiment to identify its causal impact on agricultural total factor productivity. Using a difference-in-differences approach and household-level panel data, we find that farm households in treated counties experienced a significant 8.15% increase in ATFP relative to non-treated counterparts. Mechanism analysis suggests that these gains were driven by increased mechanization and improved input efficiency, complemented by suggestive evidence of knowledge diffusion via social networks and improved market integration. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that productivity improvements are primarily driven by major grain crops and are more pronounced among less-educated households, those with higher farm labor intensity, and in counties located at moderate distances from provincial capitals. The reform also exhibited differentiated impacts: it enhanced basic output level among less capable households while facilitating access to advanced technologies in more developed regions. A back-of-the-envelope cost-benefit analysis suggests a high return on investment, underscoring the economic value of extension services. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how extension systems function and offer policy insights for other developing countries seeking to modernize agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104064"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"China's rural revitalization in the context of rural depopulation: Challenges, opportunities and responses","authors":"Jingbo Yin ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Yurui Li ,&nbsp;Yongjiang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103985","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rural depopulation is increasingly acknowledged as an inherent phase of urbanization and has emerged as a global phenomenon with profound implications for rural development. However, a comprehensive methodology to effectively mitigate this issue remains underdeveloped. As the world's largest developing country, China faces heightened urgency in addressing rural depopulation due to its rapid urbanization, vast rural population, and predominantly smallholder-based agricultural system. Between 2000 and 2020, China's rural population declined by 25.55 %, leading to significant challenges, including stagnant agricultural growth, underutilized land resources, an aging rural population, and cultural heritage erosion. Conversely, rural depopulation presents potential opportunities, including reduced environmental pressures and mitigated human-land conflicts. Here, this study develops a systematic theoretical framework for revitalizing depopulated villages, grounded in dissipative structure theory and supported by empirical case studies and international comparisons. It further proposes targeted strategies for China, including the identification of depopulated villages, institutional reforms to enhance urban-rural factor mobility, adaptive infrastructure development, incentives for the return of rural elites, and industrial revitalization to promote sustainable rural development. This study aims to offer practical pathways for depopulated villages to achieve long-term revitalization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103985"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the farmland-livelihood nexus among vulnerable rural households: A case study from a main grain production region of Northeast China","authors":"Li Ma ,&nbsp;Qian Zhang ,&nbsp;Shijun Wang ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Yang ,&nbsp;Lisha Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanisation, land commodification and policy assemblages intersect to redefine the role of farmland in rural residents' livelihoods. This study explores the under-examined question of how the farmland-livelihood nexus impacts vulnerable groups in agricultural restructuring and the potential of farmland as a medium/policy tool for sustainable poverty reduction. A research framework focusing on three key farm characteristics - farmland size, quality, and location - is established. The study focuses on a grain production region of Jilin Province in Northeast China, where significant efforts have been made to reduce rural poverty. Binary and ordinal logistic regressions are used to analyse the survey data collected in 2017-18 from nearly 3,000 vulnerable rural households. The results show that: 1) larger farmland size promotes land cultivation but with a diminishing marginal effect; 2) higher farmland quality favours land transfer; 3) farmland proximity to small towns/large cities facilitates land transfer, but proximity to medium-sized towns promotes land cultivation. Moreover, farmland's role is socially differentiated in rural livelihoods, providing both subsistence security for the vulnerable and transfer dependency for the poorest, with risks of widening inequalities. The study paves the way for future research on nuancing the farmland-livelihood nexus, and it highlights the importance of this understanding for advising poverty reduction work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103986"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fishermen's pro-environmental behavior in southern Iran: An analysis of predictors using an extended VBN model","authors":"Tayeb Piroozeh ,&nbsp;Malihe Falaki ,&nbsp;Masoud Bijani","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2025.103998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in southern Iran presents a major environmental challenge, depleting marine resources and harming aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to identify the key predictors of fishermen's pro-environmental behavior (FPEB) based on the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory, emphasizing environmental value attitudes (EVA). It innovatively integrated place attachment (PA) and environmental awareness (EA) into the VBN framework, providing a theoretical rationale for their inclusion as contextually relevant factors that augment the core VBN sequence. Employing a quantitative, descriptive-correlational and causal-comparative design, the researchers used a survey method. The statistical population consisted of 5369 fishermen in southwestern Iran; a stratified random sample of 357 participants was selected proportionally. Data were collected via a validated questionnaire with content validity confirmed by subject-matter experts and reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) ranging from 0.717 to 0.892. Analysis was conducted in SPSS₂₇ using Pearson correlation, One-way ANOVA, and path analysis. Results showed that a majority of fishermen (50.42 %) held egoistic environmental value orientations, which correlated with weaker PEB, whereas groups with biospheric and altruistic orientations exhibited more favorable PEB. The validated path model identified environmental norms (EN) (β = 0.253) and PA (β = 0.171) as the most influential direct predictors of FPEB. Integrating PA and EA into the VBN model yielded unique insights, indicating that emotional bonds to place and heightened environmental awareness are critical in shaping behavioral norms and directly impacting FPEB, thereby offering novel perspectives for addressing IUU fishing in coastal communities. A predictive model grounded in VBN principles was proposed. The findings suggest managerial strategies that strengthen biospheric and altruistic environmental attitudes, reinforce environmental norms, and foster place attachment to mitigate IUU fishing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 103998"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How digital literacy influence rural residents' demand for low-carbon housing renovations?","authors":"Donghui Chen ,&nbsp;Tao Xu ,&nbsp;Dan Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Promoting low-carbon renovations in rural housing not only reduces carbon emissions but also enhances residents' quality of life. However, existing studies have largely overlooked the pivotal role of digital literacy, which enables rural residents to effectively access information and solutions for low-carbon renovations, thereby fostering renovation demand. Drawing on 892 field survey responses from Hainan Province and employing an Oprobit model, this study empirically examines the impact of digital literacy on rural residents' demand for low-carbon housing renovations. The findings reveal three key insights. First, digital literacy exerts a significant positive effect on renovation demand, a conclusion that remains robust after addressing endogeneity and conducting robustness checks. Specifically, digital literacy significantly promotes demand for wall and roof renovations, solar installations, and energy-efficient appliances, though its effect on energy-saving doors and windows is less pronounced. Second, mechanism analysis indicates that low-carbon cognition mediates the relationship between digital literacy and renovation demand. Third, heterogeneity analysis shows that digital literacy is particularly effective in stimulating demand among residents with larger dwelling areas, shorter distances to logistics points, and lower satisfaction with existing housing. These results suggest that governments should prioritize improving rural residents’ digital literacy, thereby strengthening their low-carbon awareness and stimulating greater demand for sustainable housing renovations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104033"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Follow the rainbow home: Destabilizing urbanormativity and rural gentrification at LGBT pride in rural New York","authors":"Wren Ariel Gould","doi":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jrurstud.2026.104087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studies of gentrification often consider processes within urban sites, with queer/trans, middle-upper class, cohorts sometimes leading gentrification, sometimes termed “gaytrification.” However, queer/trans relationships to <em>rural</em> gentrification are underexplored. Though middle-upper class queer/trans urbanites may participate in rural gentrification by idealizing a romantic, bucolic remove from city life, gentrification may be abetted by rural investments in arts/culture sectors that court a gentrifying creative class, with rural LGBT Pride events constituting one such investment. The present study considers the latter mechanism via critical autoethnography, using retrospection of a queer, mixed class scholar from Otsego County, NY, including observation of Otsego County Pridefest (2024), and auditing of Pridefest (2024)'s sponsorship. Though rural Pride events may risk appealing to urban taste in ways that may court a gentrifying creative class, Pridefest 2024 events implied ways that local political economy could forestall rural gentrification. Rather than merely accommodate the taste of urban queer and trans cohorts, Pridefest 2024 emphasized an underlying political economy of mutual aid, explicitly framing housing as a shared resource in the face of housing crisis and interrupting the displacement endemic to gentrification, both rural and urban. In concluding, the present analysis suggests that gentrification may be forestalled when newcomers treat rural places like a new home rather than like a second property, a message implied by rural organizers who invited attendees of Pridefest (2024) to Follow the Rainbow Home.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17002,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Rural Studies","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 104087"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147422388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}