Abstract: Revealing the inherent logic of the impact of digitalization of rural circulation on the resilience of the grain system is of great significance for accelerating the process of digitalization of rural circulation and helping to empower the resilience and security level of the grain system with digitalization.
On the basis of theoretical mechanism analysis, based on provincial panel data from 2011 to 2021, this paper empirically tested the impact of rural circulation digitalization on grain system resilience. The main conclusions were: (1) Benchmark regression showed that digitalization of rural circulation could significantly enhance the resilience of China's grain system. After a series of robustness tests and elimination of endogeneity issues, this conclusion still held. (2) Heterogeneity testing showed that digitalization of rural circulation had a more significant promoting effect on the resilience of the grain system in the central and western regions, as well as the main grain producing areas. (3) The intermediary model test showed that industrial integration and agricultural technology innovation played mediating roles in the positive impact of rural circulation digitization on the resilience of the grain system. (4) The threshold effect test showed that agricultural labor productivity played a threshold role in the impact of digitalization of rural circulation on the resilience of the grain system.
Therefore, in the future, we should accelerate the digital transformation of the rural circulation system. We should further consider the importance of the intermediary roles of industrial integration and agricultural technology innovation and the threshold impact of labor productivity. The empowering effect of rural circulation digitization on the resilience of the grain system should also be stimulated, according to local conditions.