Output Gap or Scale Effect:The Impact of the Digital Economy on Food Security and Its Mechanism Analysis
As the digital economy emerges as a new engine of growth,the disparity in digital development between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors introduces significant impacts on agricultural development and food security through factor reallocation.Based on structural transformation theory,this paper investigates the effects of digital economy development on food security using county-level panel data from China spanning 2011 to 2021.The findings reveal that first,the current imbalance in digital economy development negatively impacts food security;however,this effect can be mitigated and even reversed through the digitization of food production.Second,the primary mechanism behind this impact is the digital divide,which facilitates the reallocation of production factors between and within sectors,resulting in dual challenges for the food industry from the"siphoning effect"and"non-food input"shocks.Third,the development of the digital economy generates scale effects for the agricultural sector,making the bridging of the"digital divide"a crucial pathway for fostering high-quality agricultural development.Fourth,the consequences of the imbalance in digital economy development on food security are more pronounced in economically developed regions with advantageous agricultural endowments.Based on these insights,this paper offers policy recommendations aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of agriculture,ensuring food security,and achieving high-quality development,from the perspective of agricultural digital subsidies,diversification of food crops,and land transfer.
Food SecurityDigital EconomyDigital DivideSiphon EffectInput of Non-food
万方数据
维普
