Can digital economy truly improve agricultural ecological transformation? New insights from China

This paper investigates the impact of the digital economy on agricultural ecological transformation in China. Using China's data, a Super-SBM model was constructed to evaluate agricultural ecological transformation, revealing a low overall level but a steady upward trend with regional disparities. A dynamic panel threshold model explored the nonlinear impact mechanism, showing a significant threshold effect of low-carbon innovation. At lower levels, the digital economy doesn't promote transformation; however, above a critical threshold, it stimulates improvement, exhibiting a U-shaped relationship. The study provides insights for achieving carbon reduction and economic promotion in developing countries.

Jian Hou, Mengyao Zhang, Ye Li