In the heart of China’s Yangtze River Delta, a quiet revolution is taking place, one that could reshape the future of agricultural quality and safety. At the forefront of this transformation are agricultural leading enterprises, guiding farmers through the intricate maze of pre-production quality and safety control. A recent study, led by Chenying Liu from the School of Management at Jiangsu University, sheds light on this phenomenon, offering insights that could echo far beyond the paddy fields and orchards of the region.
The study, published in the *Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems* (or, in English, *Frontiers in the Future of Food and Agriculture*), employs a grounded theory approach to unravel the motivations, behaviors, and outcomes of this enterprise-led initiative. Liu and her team conducted a multi-case study, extracting and analyzing data from case companies to construct a theoretical interpretation of the intrinsic mechanisms at play.
The results are revealing. Agricultural leading enterprises are guiding farmers’ participation in pre-production quality and safety control through two primary mechanisms: organizational linkage and new quality productive forces elements linkage. This is achieved through a symphony of five enterprise control behaviors: village-enterprise cooperation, integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, agricultural mechanization, agricultural digitalization, and agricultural technology promotion.
Liu explains, “Our study shows that it’s not just about one factor, but a combination of factors working together in different configurations.” This is where the study’s use of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis comes into play, exploring how these five behaviors collaborate to guide farmers’ involvement.
The study identifies six configurational paths, leading to the identification of three constructs: Industry Integration-driven, Digital Intelligence-driven, and Land Trusteeship-driven. These constructs offer a roadmap for agricultural enterprises seeking to enhance their role in pre-production quality and safety control.
The commercial implications of this research are significant. For the energy sector, which is increasingly intertwined with agriculture through the development of biofuels and other renewable energy sources, understanding these mechanisms could lead to more efficient and sustainable practices. As Liu notes, “The goal is to promote high-quality agricultural development and drive the industrialization process of agriculture.”
Moreover, this research could shape future developments in the field by encouraging agricultural enterprises to adopt a more holistic approach. By understanding the interplay of various factors, enterprises can tailor their strategies to better guide farmers, ultimately enhancing the quality and safety of agricultural products.
In the words of Liu, “This study is just the beginning. It opens up new avenues for research and practice in agricultural quality and safety control.” As the world grapples with the challenges of feeding a growing population sustainably, the insights from this study could prove invaluable. The quiet revolution in China’s Yangtze River Delta might just be the catalyst for a global transformation.