Does land certification increase farmers’ use of organic fertilizer? evidence from China

Abstract

Based on the data from the China Rural Household Panel Survey, a panel logit model is adopted to examine the impact of land certification on farmers’ use of organic fertilizers. The results reveal that land certification increases the probability of farmers using organic fertilizer by approximately 15%, with an average expenditure and amount of 35 yuan per mu and 23 kg per mu, respectively. This is mainly achieved by stabilizing farmers’ expectations of property rights and increasing the availability of agricultural subsidies. Moreover, it varies significantly with different production characteristics, property rights, and regional groupings. Specifically, land certification mainly benefits small-scale farmers planting food crops, farmers with contracted land or without land adjustment experience, and farmers in western regions, but it is not beneficial for others. The study highlights the role of land certification in improving the quality of cropland and is a reference for China and other developing countries.