The impact of internet access on green production practices among farmers

Amidst mounting global imperatives for sustainable agriculture and China's 'dual carbon' goals, this study investigates how internet access promotes farmers' adoption of green production practices, specifically defined as reducing chemical inputs through decreased fertiliser and pesticide application, using panel data from the Rural Observation Point in Henan Province (2009–2022). The findings reveal that internet access exerts a significant positive impact on farmers' green production behaviours, specifically reducing fertiliser and pesticide expenditures by 13.3% and 16.3%, respectively. Internet access enhances information accessibility, improves technical learning efficiency, and strengthens market linkages, thereby elevating farmers' economic returns and production expertise. Crucially, mechanism analysis demonstrates that both economic benefits and production technologies positively influence the promoting effect of internet access on farmers' green production practices. Heterogeneity analysis further identifies more pronounced effects among farmers with higher education levels, greater mechanisation, larger operational landholdings, robust health, younger age, centralised decision-making structures and those who are in urban suburbs, poor villages and traditional villages. This research offers critical insights for designing targeted digital interventions to advance ecological agriculture and achieve sustainable rural development goals.