How cooperative organizational capacity improves agricultural green technology efficiency: evidence from China

As a common institutional arrangement in smallholder-dominated agricultural systems, whether cooperative organizational capacity can enhance agricultural green technology efficiency (AGTE) remains an open question. Using provincial panel data from 30 Chinese provinces over the period 2006–2023 and a system GMM approach, this study examines the effects of cooperative organizational capacity and its four dimensions on AGTE. The results show that cooperative organizational capacity significantly improves AGTE, mainly through governance standardization and service facilitation rather than organizational scale. Mediation analysis reveals a sequential mechanism in which cooperative organizational capacity promotes technological innovation, which further drives production–processing integration and ultimately enhances AGTE.The positive effect is strengthened by greater access to agricultural loans, stronger support from leading agricultural enterprises, and higher levels of agricultural agglomeration. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that this effect is more pronounced in regions with stronger agricultural foundations and more supportive institutional environments. These findings highlight the importance of improving cooperative governance standardization and service capacity while fostering technological innovation and production–processing integration under supportive institutional and market conditions.