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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2025, Vol. 61 ›› Issue (9): 195-210.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20240469

• Research papers • Previous Articles    

Mechanism and Impact Measurement of the New Round of Collective Forestland Tenure Reform on the Economic Welfare of Farm Households

Jian Wei1,Yongwu Dai1,Can Liu2,*()   

  1. 1. College of Economics and Management, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou 350002
    2. College of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Agriculture Beijing 102206
  • Received:2024-08-06 Online:2025-09-25 Published:2025-10-10
  • Contact: Can Liu E-mail:sfa1sfa1sfa1@163.com

Abstract:

Objective: Improving the level of economic welfare of farm households is the main policy objective of collective forestland tenure reform. This paper tries to answer the impact of collective forestland tenure reform on the economic welfare of farm households, and reveals the mechanism of the welfare effect of collective forestland tenure reform based on the intermediary perspective of forestry production investment and off-farm employment, which is of great significance for optimizing the structure of household production and improving the economic welfare of farm households. Method: Based on the long-term tracking large-sample farm household survey data of 862 households in 18 counties (cities) of 9 provinces (regions) across China from 2003 to 2019, the mechanism of collective forestland tenure reform on the economic welfare of farm households is studied from the perspectives of investment in forestry production and off-farm employment, and the effects of collective forestland tenure reform on the economic welfare of farm households are estimated by using the difference in difference model and the mediation effect model. Result: 1) Collective forestland tenure reform can significantly increase the total income and consumption of farm households, which in turn will enhance economic well-being. 2) Increasing investment in forestry production and higher the degree of off-farm employment are the main pathways to realize the economic welfare of collective forestland tenure reform. 3) The economic welfare effect of collective forestland tenure reform on less economically developed areas and areas with higher forest resource endowment is greater; and the income-generating effect of the low-income level farm household group and the wealth effect of the middle-consumption level farm household group is more significant. 4) The promotion effect of collective forestland tenure reform on the economic welfare of farm households who have held forest right certificates for a longer period of time is greater than that of those who have held them for a shorter period of time, and the higher the proportion of collective forest land certificates, the greater the effect of improving the economic welfare of farm households. Conclusion: Collective forestland tenure reform can effectively improve the economic welfare of farm households, but the economic welfare effect of collective forestland tenure reform has a certain lag, and has obvious group and spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Therefore, it is necessary to continue to ensure that all forest land parcels of each farm household can obtain property rights certificates by confirming rights and issuing certificates, and to continue to maintain the long-term stability of the contractual relationship of collective forest land, as well as to implement precise assistance by accurately identifying the heterogeneity of the farm households’ groups, and to strengthen the forestry policy support and project tilting of economically underdeveloped areas and areas with high forest resource abundance in order to help promote the effective enhancement of the economic welfare of the farm households.

Key words: collective forestland tenure reform, economic welfare, investment in forestry production, off-farm employment, mediating effects

CLC Number: