1. Introduction
Farmland abandonment (FA) is a transformation resulting from changing land use patterns with changes in economic and social development. Since the 20th century, the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization worldwide has led to FA in most countries, evolving into a global socioeconomic phenomenon [
1,
2]. In China, the transition in land use began in the 1990s [
3]. Economic development has created more non-agricultural employment opportunities, accelerating labor transfer to secondary and tertiary industries. Coupled with the low comparative efficiency and poor production conditions in agriculture, farmland has gradually been excluded from agricultural production, leading to widespread FA. Research indicates that the proportion of FA in China has reached 20% [
4], while the outward domestic labor transfer has already surpassed the Lewis turning point [
5], showing a trend of rural labor depletion. Furthermore, the persistent small-scale, fragmented farming model of “one mu and three fields per capita” complicates efforts to improve the production efficiency and achieve economies of scale [
6], indicating the intensification of FA. Long-term FA causes a serious waste of land resources, threatening the adequate supply of agricultural products and national food security [
7]. Therefore, ensuring the sustainable use of farmland resources is a critical challenge in achieving comprehensive and sustainable social, economic, and ecological development.
FA has attracted widespread attention from policymakers worldwide. For example, the Japanese government established the Direct Payment Scheme for Farmers in Hilly Mountainous Areas to counter FA by increasing direct payments to unfavorable regions [
8]. Similarly, the European Union (EU) introduced the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) program to stimulate farmers in designated areas facing major problems due to factors such as remoteness, a complex topography, the climate, and the soil conditions to continue farming by providing financial support. However, the support level and policy effectiveness have varied significantly across the EU. In contrast, the Chinese government focuses on the coordinated utilization of land and tries to inhibit FA through HSFC. HSFC mainly refers to a series of comprehensive measures, mainly funded by the government, aiming to compensate for the shortcomings of agricultural production through a series of measures such as land leveling, soil improvement, water-saving irrigation, and field road repair [
9]. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)’s “Guiding Opinions on the Coordinated Utilization of Abandoned Land to Promote the Development of Agricultural Production”, published in 2021, highlighted the need to improve the conditions of sloping land in hilly and mountainous areas, promote the cultivation of fragmented plots, increase investments, improve the infrastructure, and enhance the suitable machine operation level. The conditioned abandoned land can be included within the scope of HSFC. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to explore the impact of the HSFC policy on FA.
Driven by natural endowment limitations [
10], climate change [
11], population out-migration [
12], regime change [
13,
14], and other natural or social factors, FA has become a widespread challenge that adversely affects agricultural production. Existing studies have proposed governance solutions such as promoting agricultural mechanization [
15], land transfer [
16], and population migration [
17]. Other scholars have categorized the drivers of FA into two main groups: natural environmental factors and socioeconomic factors. Regarding natural factors, soil quality, land fragmentation, and other constraints on agricultural development, as well as the inhibition of market competitiveness among agricultural producers are factors that cannot be ignored. As a result, land consolidation is frequently cited as a solution [
18]. Most existing studies suggest that land consolidation can overcome the comparative disadvantage of agricultural production by enhancing the essential elements for agricultural production and consolidating the infrastructure, thereby stimulating farmers’ enthusiasm for agriculture and reducing FA [
19,
20,
21]. However, some scholars suggest that although land consolidation barely maintains the area of usable farmland, it cannot avoid a slight reduction in farmland [
22]. There is no consistent conclusion on whether land leveling can inhibit FA. In terms of economic factors, the New Economics of Migration (NELM) explains the causes of FA. The theory considers a large quantity of agricultural labor force precipitation as a key driver of FA [
23], suggesting that ASS can alleviate the constraints of farmers’ human resources [
24], serving as an alternative to the loss of rural young and adult laborers. For small-scale farmers lacking comparative advantages in production, outsourcing specific underperforming production activities to professional service organizations significantly enhances the efficiency of labor resource allocation, effectively inhibiting FA [
25,
26]. Other studies have explored the relationship between ASS, agricultural labor force non-farm transfer, and FA, but have not reached a consistent conclusion. Chen Jingshuai and Han Qing argue that the impact of ASS on FA is related to the number of service links purchased by farmers and the proportion of non-farm employment in labor, and they suggest that multi-link ASS inhibits FA more significantly than single-link ASS [
27]. However, there exist different research findings. For instance, Zhang X et al. found that, for areas with a low non-agricultural employment proportion, ASS could not inhibit FA [
28].
The existing literature serves as a valuable foundation for this study, yet several gaps remain. First, the existing studies mainly explore the relationship between land consolidation and FA. At the same time, HSFC, an important policy implemented by the Chinese government to improve agricultural productivity [
29], is rarely considered in the relevant literature. It remains unclear whether there is a practical effect of FA inhibition after the completion of HSFC. Second, although the influence of ASS on FA has been examined, the role of HSFC in facilitating the development of ASS has not been thoroughly explored within a unified analytical framework that encompasses all three elements. Third, the existing studies on the relationship between ASS and FA lack a detailed examination of the extent of agricultural labor departure. Therefore, this research, adopting 838 micro-research data from the main rice-producing areas in China’s Yangtze River Basin, explores the relationship between HSFC, ASS, and FA with a Tobit model, a mediating effect model, and a moderated mediating effect model. Furthermore, it probes the new path of the sustainable development of agriculture under the trend of non-agriculture labor transfer, providing a reference for the improvement of relevant policies.
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1. High-Standard Farmland Construction and Farmland Abandonment
Rising operational costs have led to a decline in agricultural incomes and weakened the economic productive capacity of farmland. According to the rational peasant theory, farmers, as rational economic agents, aim to maximize their interests by recombining production factors. When the non-agricultural employment opportunities increase, and the income disparity between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors gradually widens [
30], it becomes economically sensible for the able-bodied labor force within families to transition away from agriculture. This shift results in a shortage of agricultural laborers, an aging workforce, and underutilized farmland. Additionally, the slow development of the farmland transfer market, institutional rigidity, land fragmentation, and other real-world factors increase the transaction costs associated with farmland transfer, making farmland abandonment (FA) an inevitable outcome. HSFC can improve farmland’s comprehensive production capacity, ease agricultural labor constraints, and facilitate farmland transfer, thus inhibiting FA.
Firstly, HSFC has improved the comprehensive production capacity of farmland, mitigating FA that arises from the low comparative returns and high risks of the uncertainty of agricultural production. On one hand, HSFC has improved the quality and basic soil productivity conditions through soil improvement and fertilization, laying the groundwork for stable and increased yields. Furthermore, HSFC is mainly funded by the government’s public investment, which, under the same conditions, offsets a portion of the farmers’ capital investment, thereby improving the input–output ratio for farmers. On the other hand, HSFC improves the field water irrigation and drainage infrastructure, enhancing the farmland’s ability to prevent disasters and thus ensure crop outputs.
Secondly, HSFC has mitigated the FA caused by the agricultural labor shortage and the rising labor costs amid continuous labor migration. Initially, by constructing field roads and adapting land for machinery use, high-standard farmland facilitates the use of advanced agricultural technology and equipment. This development makes it feasible for machinery to replace manual labor and enhances the agricultural production efficiency, narrowing the income gap between agriculture and the secondary and tertiary industries. According to the migration theory [
31], laborers tend to return to rural areas when agriculture offers higher earnings, which helps to alleviate the issues of labor loss and aging. Furthermore, HSFC improves the land concentration and contiguity through measures such as field amalgamation, supporting the transition towards larger-scale, specialized agricultural operations. This shift encourages new agricultural management entities to invest in rural areas, providing alternatives for part-time farmers.
Finally, HSFC encourages farmland transfer, thereby inhibiting FA. For the farmers who are considering the transfer of their land, this decision follows the cost–benefit principle as they are inclined to transfer their land when the benefits outweigh the costs; otherwise, they may abandon it. HSFC improves farming conditions, potentially increasing the transfer prices to raise the farmers’ incomes from land transfer and stimulating transfer activities. For the farmers who are considering the transfer of their land, high-standard farmland addresses the limitations of traditional agricultural production by reducing the need for labor and other inputs, enhancing the output of agricultural products, and increasing the productive income. Therefore, HSFC makes farmland more appealing for farmers by providing comparative production advantages, encouraging them to acquire and cultivate additional land. Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed.
2.2. High-Standard Farmland Construction, Agricultural Socialization Services, and Farmland Abandonment
The transformation of traditional agriculture relies on the introduction of modern production factors, with agricultural machinery being a pivotal new factor that can alter the input structure and operational mode of traditional farming. However, the high technological threshold asset specificity and small farmers’ limited direct purchasing capabilities present challenges. ASS organizations can serve as conduits for capital and technology, reducing the constraints on agricultural production at a minimal cost, thereby facilitating their seamless integration with modern agricultural practices and subsequently mitigating FA. Specifically, ASS curtails FA through the following three mechanisms.
First, the labor substitution effect, stemming directly from the transfer of labor to non-agricultural sectors, intensifies the constraints on the agricultural labor supply. To maintain agricultural operations, farmers may resort to hiring labor or engaging ASS to compensate for the labor shortages. Given the high costs associated with hiring labor, ASS emerges as a more cost-effective alternative. Second, the technology substitution effect sees ASS organizations intervening to replace farmers as the main providers of investment, technology, and management. They act as both the carriers and facilitators of new technology, integrating high-value-added production technology into the agricultural process at lower costs, thus enhancing the efficiency of farming operations. Third, the technology spillover effect amplifies the role of ASS organizations in empowering adjacent traditional agricultural producers and farmers. By facilitating the adoption of advanced production technologies, management experience, and organizational systems, ASS help optimize the set of input factors and bolster business returns. However, in order for ASS to fully leverage these advantages, certain conditions must be met, including the availability of smooth agricultural roads, flat land plots, and areas conducive to mechanized operations. HSFC addresses these needs by developing inter-field roads, consolidating land plots, and adapting the land for machinery, thus providing ASS organizations with large-scale, mechanically compatible land equipped with comprehensive infrastructure. This enables the effective use of ASS in preventing FA. Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed.
H2: HSFC promotes the farmers’ purchase of ASS, thereby inhibiting FA.
2.3. Moderating Role of Agricultural Labor Transfer Distance
The transfer of agricultural labor to non-agricultural sectors is not a uniform process without differences; instead, the transfer distance reflects the degree to which laborers have departed from agriculture. The varying degrees of departure influence the family’s allocation of production factors and agricultural land disposal. This study posits that the mitigating effect of HSFC and ASS on FA is affected by the ALTD through the following three primary pathways.
First, the moderating effect of the ALTD on the relationship between HSFC and FA is significant. The farmers who transfer locally may not fully leave agricultural production due to HSFC’s effectiveness in improving the farming conditions and reducing the intensity of agricultural labor. This enables part-time farmers to engage in basic agricultural production activities without reducing the operational scale. However, this also leads to a situation in which, despite operating on high-standard farmland, these farmers are unable to shift away from the traditional extensive farming practices, failing to achieve agricultural transformation and upgrading. The comparative income disadvantage of agricultural operations cannot be mitigated, and there is still the potential risk of FA. The opportunity cost of farming is higher for long-distance transfer farmers, who are more inclined to leave agricultural production. HSFC enhances the quality of farmland and increases the transfer price, encouraging some farmers to lease out their farmland for a high rent price, thereby inhibiting FA.
Second, the moderating effect of the ALTD on the relationship between HSFC and ASS is noteworthy. After the off-farm transfer of labor, the family’s income structure changes, reducing their reliance on farmland for their livelihoods. However, for many farmers, farmland remains an irreplaceable asset of personal significance, often associated with higher value and even serving a social security role. For the farmers engaging in long-distance transfer, the opportunity cost of farming is elevated, making it challenging to balance non-agricultural employment with agricultural production. Consequently, those with lucrative non-agricultural jobs at a distance are more inclined to maintain the value of their farmland by purchasing ASS to compensate for the lost labor elements, thereby reducing the opportunity cost associated with agricultural production. In contrast, the close-distance transfer farmers leave their land but not their native country, and their non-agricultural employment time is more flexible, so they can adapt to the seasonal and geographical characteristics of agricultural production activities and therefore have a smaller demand for ASS than the long-distance transfer farmers.
Third, the moderating effect of the ALTD on the relationship between ASS and FA is crucial. The involvement of ASS organizations has significantly altered the traditional agricultural production methods. However, the key factor in boosting agricultural outputs and mitigating FA through adopting new and modernized production techniques relies on the extent to which advanced technologies are applied and adopted. The farmers who have transferred over long distances have engaged heavily with ASS, transforming these providers into key decisionmakers in the production process. By introducing efficient management methods and modern organizational systems, ASS enhances the efficiency of agricultural operations, thereby inhibiting FA. Conversely, the total demand for ASS among the farmers who transfer over short distances is limited, making it challenging for the intervention of a single ASS to effect a transformation in agricultural production methods. As a result, the inhibitory effect of ASS on FA is less pronounced among these farmers. Thus, the following hypotheses are proposed.
H3a: The ALTD positively moderates the relationship between HSFC and FA. Specifically, the greater the distance, the stronger the inhibitory effect of HSFC on FA.
H3b: The ALTD positively moderates the relationship between HSFC and ASS. Specifically, the greater the distance, the more HSFC encourages farmers to purchase ASS, which, in turn, inhibits FA.
H3c: The ALTD positively moderates the relationship between ASS and FA. Specifically, the greater the distance, the more pronounced the inhibitory effect of ASS on FA.
In summary, ASS may play a mediating role between HSFC and FA, with this role being moderated by the ALTD. Thus, we have constructed a hypothesis model for testing, as depicted in
Figure 1. The impact of HSFC on FA through ASS is termed the mediating effect, while the impact of HSFC on FA without any intermediaries is referred to as the direct effect. The total effect of HSFC on FA is the sum of both the mediating and direct effects. The ALTD may moderate the mediating model via three pathways: path
d represents the moderating effect of the ALTD on the direct effect, corresponding to Hypothesis H3a; path
e represents the moderating effect of the ALTD on the relationship between HSFC and ASS, corresponding to Hypothesis H3b; and path
f represents the moderating effect of the ALTD on the relationship between ASS and FA, corresponding to Hypothesis H3c.
5. Conclusions
Based on a research sample of 838 farmers in Jiangxi Province, a principal rice-producing region within the Yangtze River Basin of China, this study employs the Tobit model, the mediating effect model, and the moderated mediating effect model to assess the impact of HSFC on FA. Additionally, it investigates the intermediary role of ASS and the moderating role of ALTD within this context. The findings are as follows: First, HSFC significantly reduces FA, with a 1.15% decrease in FA for every 1% increase in HSFC, a result that remains robust following the robustness checks and endogeneity treatment using the IV-Tobit method. Second, the inhibitory effect of HSFC on FA varies greatly among different farmers, and the inhibitory effect on part-time farmers is more significant, while the inhibitory effect on farmers with a higher degree of land fragmentation is also more significant. Third, ASS has a partial mediating effect on the influence path of HSFC regarding FA. HSFC enhances farmers’ engagement with ASS, which in turn inhibits FA. Fourth, the influence path by which HSFC affects FA via ASS is positively moderated by the ALTD; in particular, the greater the ALTD, the more that HSFC promotes the farmers’ purchase of ASS, thus inhibiting FA.
Based on the above research conclusions, this study puts forward the following policy recommendations: First, HSFC should continue to be promoted. While HSFC has been effective in mitigating FA, the current construction standards are not yet optimal. The government should increase its financial and social capital investment in HSFC to ensure the quality of the construction project. Additionally, establishing a diverse set of stakeholders to participate in the post-construction management system will guarantee the long-term benefits of these projects. Secondly, targeted construction programs and operational systems should be constructed considering the differences in endowment and the preferences of different target groups. First of all, priority should be given to transforming marginal land with low quality, serious fragmentation, and poor transportation conditions, so as to increase farmers’ enthusiasm for production and reduce the possibility of FA. In addition, village collectives should provide non-farming farmers with unified land management services and promote the centralized and continuous transfer of land through village collectives, shareholding by farmers, entrusting farmland to village collectives on behalf of farmers, and confirming the rights but not the land, so as to reduce the possibility of abandonment due to information asymmetry. Third, it is necessary to improve the standard and capacity of ASS to ensure that farmers continue to benefit, thus inhibiting FA. On the one hand, local governments should explore the establishment of socialized service group standards, socialized service subject directories, and management mechanisms to drive the overall upgrading of ASS. At the same time, they should actively unite with leading upstream and downstream industrial enterprises, scientific research institutes, etc., in order to enhance the service capacity of socialized service organizations. On the other hand, through order purchase, guaranteed dividends, share cooperation, employment, and other forms, it is necessary to build a multi-win benefit linkage mechanism with village collectives and economic organizations, new agricultural management subjects, and farmers. Fourth, the non-agricultural transfer of the surplus agricultural labor force is a necessary strategy to promote the modern transformation of the traditional rural economy. On the one hand, the government should strengthen the knowledge and skill training provided to the agricultural transfer labor force to improve their cultural literacy and knowledge and skills so that they can obtain suitable positions. On the other hand, it should optimize the institutional security system after the transfer of the agricultural labor force; this would not only provide more public services, so that they can be integrated into the city as soon as possible, but also promote the integration of the social security system between urban and rural areas.
Compared with the existing studies, this work mainly has the following theoretical and practical implications: First, this study integrates the HSFC policy with the new economics of labor migration theory and agricultural labor division theory and reveals the internal mechanism by which the HSFC policy affects FA. Second, this study utilizes first-hand microdata from Jiangxi Province, the main rice-producing province in China’s Yangtze River Basin, to conduct an econometric analysis to identify the impacts of the HSFC policy on FA and to provide real-world data support for the extrapolation of theoretical logic. Previous experience generally suggests that, in the context of the predominance of smallholder agriculture in China, the loss of agricultural labor is an important factor causing FA, and the greater the ALTD, the greater the likelihood of complete FA. However, after adding the ALTD to the mediation path of “ HAFC–ASS–FA”, we find that the mediating effect is positively regulated by the long-distance transfer of agricultural labor. This reflects that, against the current background of farmers’ unwillingness to farm and relinquish their land contracting rights, it is necessary to actively develop production methods and promote land trusteeship and ASS in order to improve the utilization efficiency of high-standard farmland and guarantee the sustainable development of agriculture. Thus, the conclusions of this study have important application value and provide unique insights.