The impact of energy poverty on agricultural productivity: The case of China

With scholars increasingly focusing on the threat to sustainable development posed by energy poverty, additional discussion on the energy poverty (EP)-agricultural technical efficiency (ATE) relationship is especially beneficial for achieving food security and agricultural sustainability. As such, using data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2002 to 2019, this study investigates the dynamic effect of EP on ATE by employing a system generalized method of moments approach. The results indicate that EP can significantly lower ATE. The heterogeneity analysis revealed that, as ATE increases, the negative effects of EP continue to wane, while the positive effects of industrial structure become more pronounced. Additionally, northern China's agricultural production is more vulnerable to EP. Based on an investigation of potential mechanisms, it appears that off-farm work is a significant channel through which EP adversely affects ATE. There are a lot of important policy implications from this paper because it adds to the existing body of knowledge and shows how to reduce the effects of EP on ATE.