Preventing Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in China: The Effect of Environmental Regulation with Digitization

Environmental regulation (ER) is essential to preventing agricultural non-point source pollution (ANSP). Prior research has focused on the effect of ER on agricultural pollution (AP), but little is known about the impact of ER following digitization on preventing AP, particularly ANSP. Based on the spatial heterogeneity, the effect of ER was examined using a geographic detector tool with provincial panel data from 2010 to 2020 in rural China. The results show that ER is a driver in preventing ANSP, primarily because of the constraint on farmers' behavior. Digitization positively affects the prevention of ANSP, as the new impetus for the infrastructure, technology, and capital is supported. The interaction between ER and digitalization forms a driving effect on the prevention of ANSP, indicating that digitalization constitutes the path dependence of farmers' rule acquisition and perception and addresses the "free riding" dilemma of farmers' participation, thereby enabling the incentive of ER to make agricultural production green and efficient. These findings indicate that the endogenous factor of digitization allowing ER is essential to preventing ANSP.