Examining the Factors Influencing Agricultural Surface Source Pollution in the Yangtze River Economic Zone from the Perspectives of Government, Enterprise, and Agriculture

Abstract

In this study, for the period between 2006 and 2021, we used the spatial Durbin model and dynamic Generalized Method of Moments to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics and contributory factors of agricultural surface source pollution in 11 provinces and cities within China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt from the perspectives of governments, enterprises, and farmers. In addition, we also investigated the threshold characteristics of the distortion of the factor market for agricultural surface source pollution under different levels of environmental regulation. Our results revealed a positive spatial correlation between agricultural surface pollution in the Yangtze River Economic Belt which was significant at the 1% level. Furthermore, we established that government environmental regulation, input factor market distortion, and labor transfer have significant effects on agricultural surface pollution, among which factor market distortion has a significant spatial spillover effect in this economic zone, and environmental regulation has a significant single-threshold effect, with a threshold value of 0.1405. Based on these findings, we propose practical steps for the mitigation of agricultural surface pollution from the perspectives of governments, enterprises, and farmers which could be adopted to support countryside revitalization.