Analysis of the impact of farmland transfer on agricultural carbon emissions - Based on survey data from farming households in groundwater irrigation areas of Hebei Province, China

Farmland transfer is a practical need for China to achieve agricultural mechanisation and modernisation, and also an important way for farmers to optimise their family resource allocation. The existing studies ignore the impact of farmland transfer on the environment, especially carbon emissions. The practical significance of this paper lies in exploring the likely mechanisms driving the effect of the farmland transfer on agricultural carbon emissions from a microeconomic perspective using data from rural households, based on the heterogeneity of land management scale. Results show: (i) Land transfer impacts carbon emissions differently. Land transfer of small-scale farmers increases carbon emissions, while large-scale farmers reduce them. The threshold value of land management scale is 1 ha. (ii) The impact mechanisms are water-saving technology adoption and input of fertilizers and pesticides. Small-scale farmers increase fertiliser and pesticide input after land transfer, increasing carbon emissions. Large-scale farmers mostly reduce irrigation electricity consumption, as well as fertilizer and pesticide input, thus reducing agricultural carbon emissions. Conclusion: It is recommended to guide farmers to expand farmland transfer scale through subsidy policies; guide small-scale farmers' green agricultural production behaviours; and increase the adoption rate of water-saving technologies.