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Can agricultural digitalization improve agricultural export quality?
Zhichao Jiang1, Xiaorun Wang1, Pengling Liu2
1School of Economics and Management, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China.
Plos One
|May 12, 2026
Summary
Agricultural digitalization significantly boosts agricultural export quality (AEQ). Key drivers include technological progress, human capital, and logistics efficiency, with regional variations and policy support influencing outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Economics
- Digital Transformation
- International Trade
Background:
- The global trade environment necessitates enhanced agricultural export quality (AEQ).
- Digitalization in agriculture is a key strategy for modernizing the agricultural sector and improving export competitiveness.
- China's agricultural sector faces challenges and opportunities in leveraging digital technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of agricultural digitalization on agricultural export quality (AEQ) in China.
- To identify the mediating pathways and moderating factors influencing this relationship.
- To provide data-driven policy recommendations for enhancing AEQ through digitalization.
Main Methods:
- Constructed a comprehensive evaluation index system for agricultural digitalization.
- Utilized panel data from 34 Chinese provincial regions (2001-2024).
- Employed econometric models: two-way fixed effects, mediation effects, and moderation effects models.
Main Results:
- Agricultural digitalization demonstrates a significant positive effect on AEQ, robust to endogeneity and further testing.
- Transmission channels include agricultural technological progress, human capital development, and logistics efficiency improvements.
- Heterogeneous effects observed, with stronger impacts in eastern, major grain-producing, and more marketized regions.
Conclusions:
- Agricultural digitalization is a crucial driver for improving AEQ.
- Policy support and market openness are vital moderators in this digital transformation.
- Tailored, regionally specific digital agricultural systems are recommended for maximizing AEQ benefits.
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