Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2025, 71(9):512-525 | DOI: 10.17221/219/2024-AGRICECON

Does livestock manure recycling among acquaintance networks decouple crop and livestock production? Evidence from rural ChinaOriginal Paper

Ying Wang ORCID...1, Guanghui Jiang ORCID...2, Jisheng Min3
1 College of Economics, Hefei University, Hefei, P.R. China
2 College of Finance, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, P.R. China
3 College of Economics and Management, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, P.R. China

Livestock manure serves as a vital source of organic fertiliser, with efficient utilisation being crucial for sustainable agricultural development. However, with the development of specialised high-input agriculture, livestock manure recycling (LMR) is currently inefficient and leading to the imbalance between surplus manure and croplands. This study theoretically and empirically investigates whether LMR among acquaintance networks influence the crop–livestock integration (CLI) production. Based on survey data of swine farmers in rural China, the estimates indicate that LMR among acquaintance networks enhances the degree of CLI but may result in over-application of manure. Conversely, LMR with outside villagers or organisations is more likely to reduce the degree of CLI, possibly leading to under-application of manure. The motivation behind farmers' LMR plays a crucial role. Furthermore, the study indicates that formal institution can break the constraints of acquaintance networks on LMR and restructure the crop-livestock relationship beyond the household level. Our findings emphasise that LMR within rural China's acquaintance networks are in a transition phase, exhibiting both relational and market orientation characteristics. It is currently essential to maintain the balance between crop and livestock production, advance the development of LMR social services when designing LMR policies, and to leverage the complementary roles of informal and formal institutions.

Keywords: crop-livestock integration; formal institution; rural networks; swine farmers

Received: June 19, 2024; Revised: May 21, 2025; Accepted: June 5, 2025; Prepublished online: September 19, 2025; Published: September 25, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Wang Y, Jiang G, Min J. Does livestock manure recycling among acquaintance networks decouple crop and livestock production? Evidence from rural China. Agric. Econ. - Czech. 2025;71(9):512-525. doi: 10.17221/219/2024-AGRICECON.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abadie A., Imbens G.W. (2016): Matching on the estimated propensity score. Econometrica 84: 781-807. Go to original source...
    2. Asai M., Moraine M., Ryschawy J., de Wit J., Hoshide A.K., Martin G. (2018): Critical factors for crop-livestock integration beyond the farm level: A cross-analysis of worldwide case studies. Land Use Policy, 73: 184-194. Go to original source...
    3. Bai Z., Ma L., Jin S., Ma W., Velthof G.L., Oenema O., Liu L., Chadwick D., Zhang F. (2016): Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium flows through the manure management chain in China. Environmental Science & Technology, 50: 13409-13418. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Bai Z., Jin S., Wu Y., zu Ermgassen E., Oenema O., Chadwick D., Lassaletta L., Velthof G., Zhao J., Ma L. (2019): China's pig relocation in balance. Nature Sustainability, 2: 888. Go to original source...
    5. Bao W., Wu Y., Bao H. (2024): Transaction costs, crop-livestock integration participation, and income effects in China. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7: 1247770. Go to original source...
    6. Basnet B.B., Apan A.A., Raine S.R. (2002): Geographic information system based manure application plan. Journal of Environmental Management, 64: 99-113. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Becker G.S. (1974): A theory of social interactions. Journal of Political Economy, 82: 1063-1093. Go to original source...
    8. Botezat A., Pfeiffer F. (2014): The impact of parents migration on the well-being of children left behind - Initial evidence from Romania. ZEW-Centre for European Economic Research Discussion Paper No. 14-029. Go to original source...
    9. Feng D., Mao K., Yang Y., Hu Y. (2023): Crop-livestock integration for sustainable agriculture in China: The history of state policy goals, reform opportunities and institutional constraints. Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, 10: 518‒529. Go to original source...
    10. Greif A., Tabellini G. (2010): Cultural and institutional bifurcation: China and Europe compared. American Economic Review, 100: 135-140. Go to original source...
    11. Han Z., Han C., Shi Z., Li J., Luo E. (2023): Rebuilding the crop-livestock integration system in China - Based on the perspective of circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 393: 136347. Go to original source...
    12. He K., Zhang J., Zeng Y., Zhang L. (2016): Households' willingness to accept compensation for agricultural waste recycling: taking biogas production from livestock manure waste in Hubei, P.R. China as an example. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131: 410-420. Go to original source...
    13. He K., Zhang J., Zeng Y. (2020): Households' willingness to pay for energy utilization of crop straw in rural China: Based on an improved UTAUT model. Energy Policy, 140: 111373. Go to original source...
    14. Jiang G., Hu H., Wang Y. (2023): How do livestock environmental regulations promote the vertical integration of the livestock industry chain? Evidence from Chinese-listed livestock enterprises. Journal of Cleaner Production, 413: 137508. Go to original source...
    15. Jin S., Zhang B., Wu B., Han D., Hu Y., Ren C., Zhang C., Wai X., Wu Y., Mol A.P.J., Reis S., Gu B., Chen J. (2021): Decoupling livestock and crop production at the household level in China. Nature Sustainability, 4: 48-55. Go to original source...
    16. Ma Y., Hou Y., Dong P., Velthof G.L., Long W., Ma L., Ma W., Jiang R., Oenema O. (2022): Cooperation between specialized livestock and crop farms can reduce environmental footprints and increase net profits in livestock production. Journal of Environmental Management, 302: 113960. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Martin G., Moraine M., Ryschawy J., Magne M.A., Asai M., Sarthou J.P., Duru M., Therond O. (2016): Crop-livestock integration beyond the farm level: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 36: 53. Go to original source...
    18. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China (2018): Technical Guidelines for Calculating the Land Carrying Capacity of Livestock and Poultry Manure. Available at https://www.moa.gov.cn/gk/tzgg_1/tfw/201801/t20180122_6135486.htm (accessed Jan 22, 2018)
    19. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China (2021): The Green Circular Agriculture Pilot Work' [Nong Ban Nong (2021) No. 10]'. Available at https://zzys.moa.gov.cn/tzgg/202105/t20210526_6368443.htm (accessed May 26, 2021).
    20. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China (2022): Technical Guide for the Construction of Manure Treatment Facilities for Livestock and Poultry Farms (Households). Available at https://www.moa.gov.cn/nybgb/2022/202209/202210/t20221010_6412911.htm (accessed Oct 10, 2022).
    21. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China (2024): China's Ni.1 central document of 2024. Available at https://www.moa.gov.cn/govpublic/SCYJJXXS/202405/t20240516_6455577.htm (accessed May 16, 2024)
    22. Ministry of Ecology ad Environment of the People Republic of China (2017): Second National Pollution Source Census Bulletin. Available at https://www.mee.gov.cn/home/ztbd/rdzl/wrypc/zlxz/202006/t20200616_784745.html (accessed June 10, 2020).
    23. Obubuafo J., Gillespie J., Paudel K., Kim S.A. (2008): Awareness of and application to the environmental quality incentives program by cow-calf producers. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 40: 357-368. Go to original source...
    24. Pan D., Zhou G., Zhang N., Zhang L. (2016): Farmers' preferences for livestock pollution control policy in China: A choice experiment method. Journal of Cleaner Production, 131: 572-582. Go to original source...
    25. Pan D., Tang J., Zhang L., He M., Kung C.C. (2021): The impact of farm scale and technology characteristics on the adoption of sustainable manure management technologies: Evidence from hog production in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 280: 124340. Go to original source...
    26. Pan D., Chen H., Zhang N., Kong F. (2023): Do livestock environmental regulations reduce water pollution in China? Ecological Economics, 204: 107637. Go to original source...
    27. Pratt C., Redding M., Hill J., Jensen P.D. (2015): Does manure management affect the latent greenhouse gas emitting potential of livestock manures? Waste Management, 46: 568-576. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. Qiu T., Luo B., Choy S.T.B., Ma X., He Q. (2020): The demonstration effect of transactions between strangers on those between acquaintances: evidence from land rentals in rural China. Applied Economics, 52: 4780-4793. Go to original source...
    29. Qiu T., Zhang D., Choy S.B., Luo B. (2021): The interaction between informal and formal institutions: A case study of private land property rights in rural China. Economic Analysis and Policy, 72: 578-591. Go to original source...
    30. Qiu T., Luo B., Tang L., He Q. (2022): Does land tenure security increase the marketization of land rentals between acquaintances? Applied Economics Letters, 29: 790-793. Go to original source...
    31. Savage J.A., Ribaudo M.O. (2013): Impact of environmental policies on the adoption of manure management practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Journal of Environmental Management, 129: 143-148. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    32. Wang Y., Yan J., Zhang Y. (2024): Research on eco-compensation preference for recycling of beef cattle breeding waste: An empirical analysis from the perspective of farmers. Journal of Agrotechnical Economics, 43: 96-109. (in Chinese)
    33. Zhang C., Liu S., Wu S., Jin S., Reis S., Liu H., Gu B. (2019): Rebuilding the linkage between livestock and cropland to mitigate agricultural pollution in China. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 144: 65-73 Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content