The Impact of Rural Labor Force Feminizing Fluctuation on Grain Production and its Regional Differences: Evidence from China

Abstract

Based on panel data from 2002 to 2018, this study establishes a variable coefficient model of the interaction term between the proportion of rural female labor force and the ratio of mechanization. The influence of the increase in the rural female labor force ratio on grain production is discussed. The results show that the feminization of the rural labor force has a significant negative impact on grain-planting area and proportion, leading to an adverse impact on grain planting. Conversely, in the plain, which is relatively easy to mechanize with massive production, the adverse effects of feminization of labor on grain production will be weakened. The regional analysis found that feminization of the workforce reduces the area and proportion of food acreage planted in the eastern region, machinery use completely counteracts the negative impact of labor feminization in the eastern and western regions, with a positive effect, whereas in the central region, the impact of machinery use is not significant. Therefore, in the process of increasing the proportion of rural women, we should pay attention to its adverse effects on food cultivation and regional differences and take targeted measures to stabilize the food supply.