From Participation to Embedding: Unpacking the Income Effects of E-Commerce-Led Digital Chain on Chinese Farmers.

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Title: From Participation to Embedding: Unpacking the Income Effects of E-Commerce-Led Digital Chain on Chinese Farmers.
Authors: Peng, Yuanyuan1 (AUTHOR), Wu, Xuanheng1,2 (AUTHOR), Zhou, Yueshu2 (AUTHOR) yszhou@njau.edu.cn
Source: Journal of Theoretical & Applied Electronic Commerce Research. Dec2025, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p278. 23p.
Subjects: Farm income, Matthew effect, Electronic commerce, Economic impact, Agricultural scientists, Digital technology, Digital inclusion, Rural development
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the multifaceted effects of e-commerce-led digital chain engagement on the income of Chinese crop farmers, distinguishing between participation status and participation depth. The analysis uses data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) conducted in 2020, with 1815 crop-farming households as the sample. To estimate causal effects, treatment effect models and instrumental variable strategies are employed. Results show that e-commerce-led digital chain participation significantly enhances household income, and deeper digital chain engagement amplifies this effect. Mechanism analyses reveal that deep engagement promotes income through multiple channels, including improved digital preparedness, enhanced product sales performance, and increased participation in digital financial services. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the income gains mainly stem from agricultural revenue, and are more pronounced among cooperative members, though marginal benefits from deeper engagement appear limited. Quantile regressions uncover a pronounced Matthew effect: higher-income households benefit more from digital chain embedding, thereby widening the income gap. Moreover, e-commerce-led digital chain participation also improves farmers' income satisfaction and their expectations of income sustainability. These findings suggest that policymakers should not only promote basic e-commerce participation but also implement targeted support for deep digital chain embedding to foster inclusive growth while mitigating the Matthew effect. By shifting the focus from binary participation to embedded intensity, this study provides new insights into how e-commerce-led digital transformation shapes rural income structures, offering theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on agricultural modernization and digital inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Theoretical & Applied Electronic Commerce Research is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: From Participation to Embedding: Unpacking the Income Effects of E-Commerce-Led Digital Chain on Chinese Farmers.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Peng%2C+Yuanyuan%22">Peng, Yuanyuan</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wu%2C+Xuanheng%22">Wu, Xuanheng</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhou%2C+Yueshu%22">Zhou, Yueshu</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> yszhou@njau.edu.cn</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Theoretical+%26+Applied+Electronic+Commerce+Research%22">Journal of Theoretical & Applied Electronic Commerce Research</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p278. 23p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Farm+income%22">Farm income</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Matthew+effect%22">Matthew effect</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+commerce%22">Electronic commerce</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Economic+impact%22">Economic impact</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Agricultural+scientists%22">Agricultural scientists</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Digital+technology%22">Digital technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Digital+inclusion%22">Digital inclusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rural+development%22">Rural development</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study aims to investigate the multifaceted effects of e-commerce-led digital chain engagement on the income of Chinese crop farmers, distinguishing between participation status and participation depth. The analysis uses data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) conducted in 2020, with 1815 crop-farming households as the sample. To estimate causal effects, treatment effect models and instrumental variable strategies are employed. Results show that e-commerce-led digital chain participation significantly enhances household income, and deeper digital chain engagement amplifies this effect. Mechanism analyses reveal that deep engagement promotes income through multiple channels, including improved digital preparedness, enhanced product sales performance, and increased participation in digital financial services. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the income gains mainly stem from agricultural revenue, and are more pronounced among cooperative members, though marginal benefits from deeper engagement appear limited. Quantile regressions uncover a pronounced Matthew effect: higher-income households benefit more from digital chain embedding, thereby widening the income gap. Moreover, e-commerce-led digital chain participation also improves farmers' income satisfaction and their expectations of income sustainability. These findings suggest that policymakers should not only promote basic e-commerce participation but also implement targeted support for deep digital chain embedding to foster inclusive growth while mitigating the Matthew effect. By shifting the focus from binary participation to embedded intensity, this study provides new insights into how e-commerce-led digital transformation shapes rural income structures, offering theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on agricultural modernization and digital inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Theoretical & Applied Electronic Commerce Research is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3390/jtaer20040278
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Farm income
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Matthew effect
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electronic commerce
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      – SubjectFull: Economic impact
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      – SubjectFull: Agricultural scientists
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      – SubjectFull: Digital technology
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      – SubjectFull: Digital inclusion
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      – SubjectFull: Rural development
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: From Participation to Embedding: Unpacking the Income Effects of E-Commerce-Led Digital Chain on Chinese Farmers.
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            NameFull: Peng, Yuanyuan
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            NameFull: Wu, Xuanheng
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            NameFull: Zhou, Yueshu
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              M: 12
              Text: Dec2025
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              Y: 2025
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