About the Journal
In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki
Editorial Office
Editorial Board
Scope
Impact Factor
Indexed in...
Journal Impact Factor contributing items
Contact
Subscription
Current issue
Online first
Notes to Authors
Frequently Asked Questions
Editorial policies
PJOES Publication Policy Overview
PJOES Peer Review Policy
PJOES Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy
PJOES Plagiarism Policy
PJOES Conflict of Interest Policy
PJOES Open Access Policy
PJOES Instructions for Reviewers
Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy
Archive
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Environmental Effects of Agricultural Production
Services: A Case Study of Chemical
Fertilizer Reduction in China
1
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, China
Submission date: 2024-07-02
Final revision date: 2024-10-18
Acceptance date: 2024-12-08
Online publication date: 2025-02-11
Publication date: 2026-01-30
Corresponding author
Yifeng Zhang
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(1):1261-1272
KEYWORDS
agricultural production serviceschemical fertilizer useeconomies of scaleoff-farm workchinese rice farmers
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Developing agricultural production services is a crucial way to promote the green transformation
of Chinese agriculture. Investigating the environmental effects of agricultural production services
is imperative for ensuring the sustainability of agriculture. This study takes the reduced application
of chemical fertilizer in China as an example. Based on data from 992 rice farmers in the China Land
Economic Survey, we explored the impact of agricultural production services on chemical fertilizer
use. An extended regression model addresses the potential endogeneity and selectivity bias. The results
show that introducing agricultural production services can significantly reduce the intensity of chemical
fertilizer use and improve its efficiency. The effects of economies of scale and off-farm income play
a large part in it. In addition, compared with labor-intensive agricultural production services, technologyintensive
agricultural production services have a more significant impact on reducing chemical fertilizer
use. This study highlights the positive role of agricultural production services in promoting sustainable
agricultural development, as they help promote large-scale and specialized agricultural production.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
REFERENCES (53)
1.
HUANG J., HUANG Z., JIA X., HU R., XIANG C. Long‑term reduction of nitrogen fertilizer use through knowledge training in rice production in China. Agricultural Systems, 135, 105, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy....
2.
HU L., ZHANG X., ZHOU Y. Farm size and fertilizer sustainable use: An empirical study in Jiangsu, China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 18 (12), 2898, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-....
3.
JI X., XU J., ZHANG H. Environmental effects of rural e‑commerce: A case study of chemical fertilizer reduction in China. Journal of Environmental Management, 326, 116713, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv... PMid:36375432.
4.
BAWEJA P., KUMAR S., KUMAR G. Fertilizers and pesticides: Their impact on soil health and environment. Soil Health, 59, 265, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-....
5.
XU R., CAI Y., WANG X., LI C., LIU Q., YANG Z. Agricultural nitrogen flow in a reservoir watershed and its implications for water pollution mitigation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 267, 122034, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
6.
GUO C., LIU X., HE X. A global meta-analysis of crop yield and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions under nitrogen fertilizer application. Science of The Total Environment, 831, 154982, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scit... PMid:35381236.
7.
LI Z., JIAO Y., YIN J., LI D., WANG B., ZHANG K., ZHENG X., HONG Y., ZHANG H., XIE C., LI Y., DUAN Y., HU Y., ZHU Z., LIU Y. Productivity and quality of banana in response to chemical fertilizer reduction with bio-organic fertilizer: Insight into soil properties and microbial ecology. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 322, 107659, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee....
8.
BINDRABAN P.S., DIMKPA C.O., PANDEY R. Exploring phosphorus fertilizers and fertilization strategies for improved human and environmental health. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 56 (3), 299, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374....
9.
GUO X., ZHAO D., ZHUANG M., WANG C., ZHANG F. Fertilizer and pesticide reduction in cherry tomato production to achieve multiple environmental benefits in Guangxi, China. Science of The Total Environment, 793, 148527, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scit... PMid:34174594.
10.
XU Y., XU X., LI J., GUO X., GONG H., OUYANG Z., ZHANG L., MATHIJS E. Excessive synthetic fertilizers elevate greenhouse gas emissions of smallholder-scale staple grain production in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 430, 139720, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
11.
KISHORE A., ALVI M., KRUPNIK T. Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Global Food Security, 28, 100464, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.... PMid:33738185 PMCid:PMC7937784.
12.
PANYASING S., YONGVANIT S., PURNOMO E., THAM I., AIM S. The government policy on the organic rice farming groups embracing sustainable agricultural production: Evidence in Thailand. AgBioForum, 24 (1), 83, 2022.
13.
MICHA E., TSAKIRIDIS A., RAGKOS A., BUCKLEY C. Assessing the effect of soil testing on chemical fertilizer use intensity: An empirical analysis of phosphorus fertilizer demand by Irish dairy farmers. Journal of Rural Studies, 97, 186, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrur....
14.
CHENG C., GAO Q., QIU Y. Assessing the ability of agricultural socialized services to promote the protection of cultivated land among farmers. Land, 11 (8), 1338, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11....
15.
CHEN T., RIZWAN M., ABBAS A. Exploring the role of agricultural services in production efficiency in Chinese agriculture: A case of the socialized agricultural service system. Land, 11 (3), 347, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11....
16.
GAO E., ZHU J., ZHENG J. The impact of agricultural socialized services on the reduction of fertilizer: double inspection based on panel data of 31 provinces in China. Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture, 31 (4), 632, 2023.
17.
LI Y., HUAN M., JIAO X., CHI L., MA J. The impact of labor migration on chemical fertilizer use of wheat smallholders in China – mediation analysis of socialized service. Journal of Cleaner Production, 394, 136366, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
18.
ZHANG Y., YIN Y., LI F., DUAN W., XU K., YIN C. Can outsourcing improve the technical efficiency of wheat production with fertilization and pesticide application? Evidence from China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 422, 138587, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
19.
MI Q., LI X., GAO J. How to improve the welfare of smallholders through agricultural production outsourcing: Evidence from cotton farmers in Xinjiang, Northwest China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256, 120636, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
20.
DENG X., XU D., ZENG M., QI Y. Does outsourcing affect agricultural productivity of farmer households? Evidence from China. China Agricultural Economic Review, 12 (4), 673, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-1....
21.
LIN J., JIN S., GUO H. Do outsourcing services provided by agricultural cooperatives affect technical efficiency? Insights from tobacco farmers in China. Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 94 (3), 781, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/apce.1....
22.
ROCHA JUNIOR A.B., FERREIRA FILHO J.B.D.S. Assessing the productivity effects of agricultural extension in a pluralistic system: an analysis of Brazilian family farming in 2017. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 30, 1, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/138922....
23.
LYNE M.C., NOMONDE J., GERALD F.O. A quantitative assessment of an outsourced agricultural extension service in the Umzimkhulu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 24 (1), 51, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/138922....
24.
RAHMAN M.M., CONNOR J.D. Impact of agricultural extension services on fertilizer use and farmers' welfare: Evidence from Bangladesh. Sustainability, 14 (15), 9385, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1415....
25.
BERNARD K.M.C., EMMANUEL D., PRECILLIA T.N., ANDRE N.N., LYDIE B.T. Does Agricultural Cooperative Membership Help to Reduce the Overuse of Agrochemicals Pesticides (CPs)? Evidence from a Rural Area in West Region Cameroon. In *Disaster Risk, Resilient Agriculture and Livelihood*, Routledge India, pp. 16, 2024.
26.
ZHANG C., SUN Y., HU R., YANG F., SHEN X. The impact of rural-urban migration experience on fertilizer use: Evidence from rice production in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 280, 124429, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
27.
HUAN M., ZHAN S. Agricultural production services, farm size and chemical fertilizer use in China's maize production. Land, 11 (11), 1931, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11....
28.
LIU T., WU G. Does agricultural cooperative membership help reduce the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides? Evidence from rural China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 7972, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356... PMid:34480697.
29.
QING C., ZHOU W., SONG J., DENG X., XU D. Impact of outsourced machinery services on farmers' green production behavior: Evidence from Chinese rice farmers. Journal of Environmental Management, 327, 116843, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv... PMid:36459784.
30.
ZHANG C., HU R., SHI G., JIN Y., ROBSON M.G., HUANG X. Overuse or underuse? An observation of pesticide use in China. Science of the Total Environment, 538, 1, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scit... PMid:26296070.
31.
CHANG Q., ZHANG C., CHIEN H., WU W., ZHAO M. Impact of outsourcing agricultural production on the frequency and intensity of agrochemical inputs: evidence from a field survey of 1211 farmers in major food‑producing areas in China. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26, 9577, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668....
32.
SCHOLZ R.W., GEISSLER B. Feebates for dealing with trade-offs on fertilizer subsidies: A conceptual framework for environmental management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 189, 898, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
34.
NBSC (National Bureau of Statistics of China). STATS. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/nd... (accessed on 01/31/2024).
35.
NBSC. Bulletin on the main data of the Third National Agricultural Census. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/tj... (accessed on 01/31/2024).
36.
XIA X., CUI M. Impact of Fertilization Custody Services on Fertilizer Reduction. Journal of South China Agricultural University (Social Science Edition), 22 (6), 88, 2023 [In Chinese].
37.
WANG X., CHEN Y., SUI P., YAN P., YANG X., GAO W. Preliminary analysis on economic and environmental consequences of grain production on different farm sizes in North China Plain. Agricultural Systems, 153, 181, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy....
38.
ZHANG Y., LU Q., YANG C., GRANT M.K. Cooperative membership, service provision, and the adoption of green control techniques: Evidence from China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 384, 135462, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
39.
REN C., JIN S., WU Y., ZHANG B., KANTER D., WU B., XI X., ZHANG X., CHEN D., XU J., GU B. Fertilizer overuse in Chinese smallholders due to lack of fixed inputs. Journal of Environmental Management, 293, 112913, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv... PMid:34091142.
40.
GUO J., LI C., XU X., SUN M., ZHANG L. Farmland scale and chemical fertilizer use in rural China: New evidence from the perspective of nutrient elements. Journal of Cleaner Production, 376, 134278, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcle....
41.
YU X., SCHWEIKERT K., LI Y., MA J., DOLUSCHITZ R. Farm size, farmers' perceptions and chemical fertilizer overuse in grain production: Evidence from maize farmers in northern China. Journal of Environmental Management, 325, 116347, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv... PMid:36244281.
42.
WU Y., XI X., TANG X., LUO D., GU B., LAM S.K., VITOUSEK P.M., CHEN D. Policy distortions, farm scale, and the overuse of agricultural chemicals in China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115 (27), 7010, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1... PMid:29915067 PMCid:PMC6142251.
43.
WANG C., DUAN J., REN C., LIU H., REIS S., XU J., GU B. Ammonia emissions from croplands decrease with farm size in China. Environmental Science & Technology, 56 (14), 9915, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.es... PMid:35621262.
44.
ZHENG H., MA W., ZHOU X. Renting‑in cropland, machinery use intensity, and land productivity in rural China. Applied Economics, 53 (47), 5503, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/000368....
45.
ZHAO C., KONG X., QIU H. Does the expansion of farm size contribute to the reduction of chemical fertilizers? Empirical analysis based on 1274 family farms in China. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 4, 110, 2021.
46.
ZHANG Y., LONG H., LI Y., GE D., TU S. How does off‑farm work affect chemical fertilizer application? Evidence from China's mountainous and plain areas. Land Use Policy, 99, 104848, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.land....
47.
FAN P., MISHRA A.K., FENG S., SU M. The effect of agricultural subsidies on chemical fertilizer use: Evidence from a new policy in China. Journal of Environmental Management, 344, 118423, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenv... PMid:37356329.
48.
ZHANG Y., LONG H., WANG M., LI Y., MA L., CHEN K., ZHENG Y., JIANG T. The hidden mechanism of chemical fertiliser overuse in rural China. Habitat International, 102, 102210, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habi....
49.
MA W., ABDULAI A., MA C. The effects of off‑farm work on fertilizer and pesticide expenditures in China. Review of Development Economics, 22 (2), 573, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.1....
50.
LIU J., MAO S., ZHENG Q., XU Z. Can whole steps of grain production be outsourced? Empirical analysis based on the three provinces of Jiangsu, Jilin, and Sichuan in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 23 (1), 336, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jia.....
51.
MA W., ZHENG H., NNAJI A. Cooperative membership and adoption of green pest control practices: Insights from rice farmers. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 67 (3), 459, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8....
52.
CHEN Y., LU H., LUO J. How does agricultural production outsourcing services affect chemical fertilizer use under topographic constraints: a farm‑level analysis of China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30 (45), 100861, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356... PMid:37640977.
53.
ROODMAN D. Fitting fully observed recursive mixed‑process models with CMP. The Stata Journal, 11 (2), 159, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1177/153686....
| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
