Search Results (123)

This article examines the relationship between human capital accumulation, household income, and shared prosperity using 2005–2018 household surveys in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. Human capital is found to be positively and significantly correlated with household wellbeing in all five nations. Health’s indirect benefits in Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Kenya augment its direct benefits. Education has monotonic welfare benefits from primary to tertiary levels in all countries. Human capital and labour market participation are strongly associated with household wellbeing. The equalization of human capital endowments increases income for the 40% of the least well-off groups in three of the sample countries. All countries except Uganda record a decrease in human capital deprivation over the period studied. Redistribution is associated with a reduction in human capital deprivation, although less systematically than in the growth scenario. These results suggest that sizeable reductions in human capital deprivation are more likely to be accomplished by interventions that focus on boosting general human capital outcomes than those that redistribute the human capital formation inputs. In countries with declining human capital deprivation, the within-sector interventions seem to account for this success. Substantial heterogeneity in human capital poverty exists within and across countries and between rural and urban areas. Full article

The willingness to pay (WTP) for green energy consumption not only indicates the public’s green energy consumption practices, but also affects the realization of China’s “dual carbon” goals and global green development. Based on data from the 2018 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study describes the WTP for green energy consumption of Chinese urban and rural residents in the context of “dual carbon”. Moreover, it provides an in-depth interpretation from the perspectives of capital endowment and energy cognition, guided by social practice theory (SPT). This study found that, firstly, the public’s WTP for green energy consumption needs to be strengthened urgently, and the percentage of the refusal to participate group reaches 41.44%, and shows significant urban–rural differences. Compared with rural residents, the proportion and amount of WTP for urban residents are 7.5% and 4.016 CNY/month higher, respectively. Secondly, capital endowment and energy cognition are important influencing factors. Among them, economic capital (β = 0.647, p < 0.01) and cultural capital (β = 0.358, p < 0.05) play a significant role for urban residents, while rural residents depend on the government support cognition of energy (β = 7.678, p < 0.001). Finally, the urban–rural divergence in WTP for green energy consumption mainly stems from the gap in capital endowment, which contributes 29.08%, significantly higher than the contribution of energy cognition (8.34%). Therefore, efforts should be made to enhance the capital endowment levels of urban and rural residents, implement a targeted energy knowledge dissemination system, build a comprehensive government support system, and break down institutional barriers through urban–rural integration to guard against the disadvantages of rural residents. Full article

In this study, an empirical analysis was applied to measure the efficiency level of dairy farms in Cyprus and estimate the capacity of sheep farmers to support the increasing demand for halloumi cheese. Data Envelopment Analysis was used on data from 50 dairy sheep farms in Cyprus, which operate under extensive, semi-intensive, and intensive systems. The main features of the most efficient farms are presented, and a comparative financial analysis is implemented between the efficient and less efficient farms. The results indicate room for improvement in extensive and semi-intensive dairy sheep farming and verify that the transition that takes place in sheep farming towards more intensive systems constitutes the optimal approach. The most efficient farms operate under semi-intensive and intensive dairy sheep farming and achieve higher milk yields than the farms operating under extensive systems. Feeding constitutes the main cost driver, exceeding 60% in both efficient and inefficient farms, while labor wages and fixed capital cost varies between 25% and 30% of the total production cost for both efficiency groups. The findings indicate that the farms should utilize economies of scale to reduce production costs and utilize fixed capital endowments at full capacity. Full article

The paper analyses the relationship between human capital formation and income growth in Burkina Faso using data from household surveys conducted in 2009 and 2018. By combining estimates from multiple linear regressions of the impact of human capital variables on income with variance decomposition techniques, this paper quantifies the contribution of education, health, underemployment, and dietary diversity to income growth. It distinguishes between the shares related to the effects of increasing capital factor endowments and those related to the returns on these endowments. The results demonstrate that an increase in human capital endowment is a key factor in determining workers’ income growth. Furthermore, the impact of human capital on income growth is greater when the endowment and return effects of these factors are both positive and high. These results also indicate that a significant improvement in household income is more likely to be achieved by interventions focused on both increasing human capital endowments and improving human capital outcomes. Full article

Utilizing data from 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2021, this study constructs an evaluation index system for high-quality economic development across the following five dimensions: innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing. A continuous difference-in-differences approach is employed for regression analysis to empirically examine the impact of high-speed rail on high-quality economic development, further exploring its mechanisms and spatial spillover effects. The findings reveal that (1) HSR significantly promotes high-quality economic development; (2) with the development of HSR, from 2005 to 2021, China’s high-quality economic development showed an evolutionary trend of overall improvement, with a gradual optimization of spatial patterns; (3) it facilitates high-quality economic development by enhancing capital and labor mobility, strengthening industrial chain resilience, and advancing industrial structure upgrading; (4) high-speed rail development in neighboring regions generates positive spatial spillover effects on local urban economic quality; and (5) the impact of high-speed rail on high-quality economic development exhibits significant heterogeneity across cities with different regions, tiers, scales, and resource endowments. These results confirm the positive role of high-speed rail in fostering high-quality economic development. Full article

Low-carbon transformation and common prosperity are critical pillars of China’s economic growth. To explore the mechanism relating the two, this paper analyzes how carbon efficiency influences the urban–rural income gap, including its transmission mechanism and heterogeneity, and uses panel data from 240 Chinese prefectural cities (2006–2019). The results reveal an “inverted U-shaped” relationship between the low-carbon transition and urban–rural income gap. Specifically, as the carbon emission efficiency improves, the impact of the low-carbon transition on the urban–rural income gap changes from positive to negative. This finding remains robust under robustness tests. The heterogeneity test indicates that the “inverted U-shaped” relationship exhibits regional heterogeneity, resource endowment heterogeneity, economic development stage heterogeneity, and urban–rural income gap level heterogeneity. Furthermore, urban low-carbon transition influences the urban–rural income gap through industrial structure, employment structure, and human capital. This paper discusses the combination of low-carbon transformation and common prosperity, and takes into account both ecological sustainability and social sustainability. The findings of this paper offer policy proposals for advancing the achievement of dual-carbon goals and common prosperity, and provide references for developing countries. Full article

China’s rural rejuvenation rationale reveals that domestic waste management (DWM), as a gateway to habitat enhancement, is a critical policy pathway for achieving sustainable rural development. This paper analyzes the influence of capital endowment (CE) and environmental literacy (EL) on farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for DWM through a binary logistic model, focusing on the Yangtze River Delta region, with 571 farmers contributing validated responses. It also conducts a more in-depth exploration of the regulatory role of EL and the influence of CE on WTP for DWM. The findings are as follows: (1) CE and sub-dimensions of economic capital and psychological capital yield a substantial positive effect on WTP for DWM. (2) CE and sub-dimensions of economic capital, human capital, and psychological capital yield a substantial positive effect on LOP for DWM. (3) EL and sub-dimensions of ER, EP, and EKS exert a notably positive influence on WTP and LOP for DWM. (4) EL functions as a moderator in the effect of CE on WTP for DWM. Based on this, this paper puts forward some policy suggestions to improve farmers’ WTP for DWM from two aspects: optimize the structure of farmers’ capital endowment and foster a positive climate for the entire society to safeguard the environment and strengthen the environmental literacy education system. Full article

The Yellow River Basin, a cradle of Chinese civilization, hosts traditional riverside villages that embody millennia of cultural and ecological heritage. Despite their significance, rapid urbanization and homogeneous rural development have precipitated landscape homogenization and cultural erosion, threatening these villages’ spatial integrity and cultural capital. Current research predominantly focuses on qualitative characterization of architectural heritage, neglecting quantitative assessments of agroecological synergies and systematic resource endowment analysis. This oversight limits the development of proactive conservation strategies tailored to the integrated cultural–ecological value of these villages, hindering their sustainable revitalization within China’s broader Yellow River Basin high-quality development strategy. Here, we develop a comprehensive framework integrating landscape characterization, value assessment, and conservation strategies for traditional villages along Shaanxi’s Yellow River. Using GISs 10.2 multi-criteria analysis, and field surveys, we construct a hierarchical landscape database and evaluate villages across cultural, ecological, and socio-economic dimensions. Our results reveal distinct spatial patterns, with 65% of historical structures clustered in village cores, and identify four landscape zones requiring targeted conservation. High-value villages (e.g., Yangjiagou) exhibit strong cultural preservation and ecological resilience, while lower-scoring villages underscore urgent intervention needs. We propose multi-scale protection strategies, including regional clustering and village-level tailored approaches, to balance conservation with sustainable development. This study fills the critical gap in systematic resource endowment evaluation by demonstrating how integrated cultural–ecological metrics can guide proactive conservation. Our framework not only safeguards tangible and intangible heritage but also aligns with national strategies for rural revitalization and ecological protection. By bridging methodological divides between qualitative and quantitative approaches, this research offers a replicable model for sustainable rural development in ecologically sensitive cultural landscapes globally, advancing the field beyond static preservation paradigms toward dynamic, evidence-based planning. Full article

Common prosperity is the fundamental driving force of rural revitalization, as well as the foundation for achieving sustainable economic development. The e-commerce to the countryside policy has energized the rural economy, helping to improve household economic resilience and reduce income stratification, thereby promoting the inclusive and sustainable development of the digital economy. Drawing on panel data collected from rural fixed observation points in Henan Province during 2009–2022, this study employs a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) approach to evaluate the impact of China’s e-commerce to the countryside policy on farmers’ income and income inequality. The empirical results reveal that the rural e-commerce policy significantly increases farmers’ income while mitigating income inequality. The underlying mechanisms function through three synergistic pathways: industrial structural upgrading, manifested through tri-sector integration driven by rural enterprise development; factor allocation restructuring, evidenced by productivity gains from optimized labor–capital reallocation; and enhanced market inclusion through digital technology empowerment that lowers participation barriers. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the e-commerce to the countryside policy exhibits pro-poor characteristics, with its income-enhancing and equalizing effects being particularly pronounced in agricultural areas, traditional villages, county-level civilized villages, underdeveloped regions, registered poverty-stricken villages, and households with low human, physical, and financial capital endowments. These findings confirm the inclusive development efficacy of rural e-commerce among vulnerable populations. Consequently, the study provides a replicable policy implementation framework for achieving common prosperity objectives. Full article

The agro-tourism integration model combines agricultural production, rural life, and tourism experiences, bringing new opportunities for the sustainable development of counties. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of the agro-tourism integration on the sustainable development of counties, reveal the underlying mechanisms and regional heterogeneity effects, and provide a scientific basis for the formulation of rural revitalization policies. Based on panel data from 1749 counties in China from 2008 to 2021, an empirical test using a propensity score matching-difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) model found that the National Policy on Leisure Agriculture and Rural Tourism Demonstration Counties significantly enhances the level of sustainable development in counties through three mechanisms: stimulating consumer demand, attracting capital inflows, and optimizing industrial structure. Moreover, the effect is more pronounced in the western regions of China. In terms of theory, this study shifts the focus to the county level, constructing a comprehensive measurement index system for county-level sustainable development. It analyzes the mechanisms through which the integration of agriculture and tourism operates and verifies the policy effects. In terms of practice, policy implementations are proposed to adopt a multi-pronged approach to increase agricultural-tourism consumption; to promote government-enterprise cooperation and introduce long-term funding; and to develop the service industry in a location-specific manner to continuously optimize the industrial structure. This study indicates that agro-tourism integration is an effective path for the sustainable development of counties. The policy design needs to take into account the differences in regional resource endowments. This has important implications for promoting county-level development in a location-specific manner under the rural revitalization strategy. Full article

As the core region of global steel production and consumption, the zero-carbon transition of China, Japan, and South Korea is crucial for global climate goals and industrial chain sustainability. Hydrogen-based direct reduction iron (H-DRI) production, powered by renewable energy, is a promising pathway for reducing carbon emissions. This study compares the competitive dynamics of hydrogen-based steel production in China, Japan, and South Korea, with a particular focus on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), and levelized cost of steel (LCOS) as key metrics for evaluating the economic viability of green hydrogen-based steel production. And then compares and analyzes the competitiveness of China, Japan, and South Korea in hydrogen-based steel production, focusing on the role of green hydrogen and renewable energy in shaping the future steel industry. This study examines the impact of technological advancements, resource endowments, and policy support on H-DRI production. It highlights the importance of offshore wind power in Japan and South Korea, where its development plays a key role in reducing the cost of green hydrogen production and providing a stable electricity supply for H-DRI production. However, the high capital expenditures (CAPEXs) and labor costs associated with offshore wind power in these countries make importing relevant technologies and products from China a more cost-effective option. This study also explores the strategic importance of international cooperation and technology transfer, emphasizing the potential for China, Japan, and South Korea to strengthen bilateral collaboration in green hydrogen and H-DRI technologies. Such cooperation supports the region’s steel decarbonization efforts and enhances its global competitiveness. The integration of offshore wind power and hydrogen production technologies offers new opportunities for energy cooperation in East Asia, with China playing a key role in providing low-cost green energy solutions. Full article

Enhancing carbon emission efficiency is crucial for achieving carbon reduction and economic growth. This paper focuses on the digital–financial dual pilot policy formed by the Broadband China strategy pilot (BCP) policy and the Promoting Science and Technology to Combine with Finance pilot (TFCP) policy. Using the panel data of 284 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2022 and nighttime light data, this paper adopts the super-efficiency SBM model to calculate urban carbon emission efficiency. Based on this efficiency, this paper employs the staggered difference-in-differences model to discuss the impact of the dual pilot policy on urban carbon emission efficiency. The research results indicate that the dual pilot policy significantly improves urban carbon emission efficiency, and compared to the single pilot policy, the dual pilot policy has a greater effect on improving carbon emission efficiency. This conclusion still holds after the parallel trend test, heterogeneous treatment effects test, and other robustness tests. Mechanism analysis demonstrates that the dual pilot policy enhances urban labor, capital, and credit resource allocation efficiency and green technological innovation by generating resource allocation and collaborative innovation effects, thereby improving urban carbon emission efficiency. Further analysis reveals that implementing the TFCP policy first, followed by the BCP policy, can more effectively maximize the dual pilot policy’s positive impact on urban carbon emission efficiency. The impact of the dual pilot policy on urban carbon emission efficiency exhibits heterogeneity, depending on the resource endowment, digital infrastructure level, administrative hierarchy, economic and financial development level, and intellectual property protection intensity of cities. This paper provides valuable insights for effectively implementing the dual pilot policy and achieving a win–win outcome in carbon reduction and economic development. Full article

Farmers are the key adopters of low-carbon agricultural technologies, and their adoption behavior is crucial for achieving the “dual carbon” goals. However, how digital literacy influences farmers’ technology adoption remains underexplored. Based on survey data from 742 farmers in Shandong Province, this study employs an ordered Logit model to examine the impact of digital literacy on the adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies, as well as the mediating effects of capital endowment and adoption willingness, along with their heterogeneity. The results indicate that digital literacy significantly promotes farmers’ adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies, but its effects vary across different technology types. Information acquisition literacy and security literacy have a greater impact on data-driven technologies (water-saving irrigation and soil testing-based fertilization), while content creation literacy and problem-solving literacy play a more significant role in knowledge-based technologies (integrated pest management). Mechanism analysis reveals that capital endowment and adoption willingness function as independent mediators, with a significant chain mediation effect between them. Furthermore, different dimensions of capital endowment exert heterogeneous influences on technology adoption: human and material capital primarily influence conservation tillage and water-saving irrigation, social capital facilitates integrated pest management, and economic capital plays a crucial role in water-saving irrigation adoption. Based on these findings, this study recommends enhancing farmers’ digital literacy, optimizing capital endowment structures, strengthening market mechanisms, and establishing demonstration bases to accelerate the widespread adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies and contribute to the realization of the “dual carbon” goals. Full article

Establishing a sound agricultural investment risk measurement and dynamic monitoring mechanism is a key path to optimize the efficiency of agricultural capital allocation and ensure the stability of the global food supply chain. Based on the five dimensions of politics, economy, society, agricultural management, and bilateral diplomatic and economic relations with China, this paper constructs an index system to assess the risks of China’s agricultural investment in 49 countries along “the Belt and Road” and uses nuclear density analysis, a Markov chain, and other methods to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of different risks during 1995–2022. A deep neural network model is constructed to monitor the investment risk dynamically. The research shows that China’s agricultural investment risk to most of the countries along the route (61.22%) is at a normal level, and risk in bilateral diplomatic and economic relations with China is the most critical influencing factor. The agricultural investment risk among countries along the route has a significant positive spatial correlation and dynamic infectivity and shows a trend of gradually transferring from high risk to low risk in the long run. Endowment of agricultural water resources, natural disasters, and other indicators have the greatest impact on the high risk. Unemployment status and communication level have the greatest influence on the low risk. Investment relationship and endowment of agricultural land resources have the least influence on different investment risk levels. On this basis, the paper puts forward some policy suggestions for expanding the investment scale and strengthening dynamic monitoring. This paper enriches the index system of China’s agricultural investment risk and provides a reference for other countries’ agricultural investment and regional economic belt construction. Full article

Exploring the dynamic synergistic effect and driving mechanism of green technology innovation (GTI) and tourism green development (TGD) is of great significance for reducing the environmental footprint of tourism, enhancing the capacity of sustainable development, and promoting the practical application of green technology and industrial upgrading. This study takes 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China as research objects, and the time span of the study is from 2007 to 2023. The dynamic synergistic effects and driving mechanisms of GTI and tourism green development (TGD) are revealed by comprehensively adopting the coupled coordination model and panel quantile regression model. The results of this study show that (1) the average value of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) shows a small upward trend, with regional differences for Shanghai > Zhejiang > Jiangsu > Anhui. (2) High coupling coordination degree (CCD) areas are spatially concentrated in provincial capital cities, with prominent spatiotemporal heterogeneity characteristics and spatial correlation. (3) Industrial structure, human capital, and tourism resource endowment have a significant contribution to the coupling coordination degree, while informationization level and transport facilities show heterogeneous influence effects in different sub-location contexts. The level of openness and environmental regulation did not show the ‘pollution shelter’ effect, confirming ‘Porter’s hypothesis’ to some extent. (4) This study not only provides new evidence for the synergistic effect of green technological innovation and the green development of tourism, but it also provides an important reference for green technological innovation to empower the high-quality development of tourism. Full article