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By investigating the diffusion of information among social networks, and by presenting an analysis of apple growers in terms of the mechanism that underlies insurance decision-making, this paper first examined the relationship between information diffusion in social networks and the volatility that is observed in the crop insurance purchasing rate in China. In accordance with the mean-field theory of social networks, a mathematical model of infectious disease dynamics was employed to construct an insurance purchasing model, and the convergence value of the crop insurance purchasing rate was derived. Second, this paper analyzed research data related to apple insurance, and verified some of the properties related to purchasing rate fluctuations. The results show that the purchasing rate of crop insurance has a unique convergence point. The greater the average degree among the social network, the quicker the crop insurance purchasing rate reached the convergence point, and the lower its volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of adult children's migration on the smoking behavior of rural parents who are left behind and raise the concern that the rural residents' increasing tendency to migrate to urban areas in China nowadays could encourage such a behavior. Design/methodology/approach: Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey and applying propensity score matching method and individual-level fixed effects model, this paper addresses the potential endogeneity issues that may arise between the children's migration decisions and parental smoking behavior. Findings: This study's results indicate that rural parents left behind by their emigrant children indeed are more likely to sustain their smoking habit. The validated smoking effect of emigration calls for effective government programs that entail intervention to curb such potentially aggravating health risk, especially among middle-aged and older fathers. Originality/value: This paper is the first to examine the impact of children's migration on the smoking behavior of left-behind parents in rural households in China. Our findings call for immediate attention to the smoking behavior of older age cohort in China as the scale of rural−urban migration trend is expected to increase. Moreover, given that many countries in Asia, such as India, Vietnam and Indonesia, are confronting similar issues, our findings could provide useful implications for smoking cessation and control policies in those countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon trading systems are increasingly used by many countries nowadays to reduce carbon emission and improve the quality of environment. To evaluate the effect of emission trading system on carbon emission reduction, this study applies a robust econometric method difference-in-difference estimation on city-level panel data in China from 2004 to 2015. The findings of this study indicate that the emission trading policy adopted in pilot regions has reduced carbon emission by approximately 16.2% and such effect is particularly prominent in eastern areas of China where the economy is more developed. Moreover, other factors such as the development of the second industry and foreign direct investment are also found to affect carbon emission. The results of this study provide evidence for the success of the emission trading system in reducing carbon emission across pilot cities and suggest that an expanded scope of carbon trading mechanism adopted in China would further control the carbon emission. Meanwhile, a multi-level emission trading system from central to local government needs to be built using a variety of market-based instruments to promote the equal development of carbon trading market in various regions with different economic development levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural production technologies such as formula fertilizer and soil testing have caught attentions from government agencies and scholars as a potential solution to environmental problems associated with overuse of fertilizers. A lack of motivation from farmers has slowed the adoption of sustainable technologies in China, resulting in continued deterioration of the rural environment. Recently, China's agriculture is experiencing rapid consolidation due to structural adjustments and labor migration. Large scale farming is becoming a major force for promoting sustainable rural development and agricultural production. This study applies the theory of planned behavior to explain the adoption of formula fertilizer and soil testing technology among 690 large scale producers in Eastern China. The path analysis shows the attitude, subjective norm (perceived social pressure), and perceived behavior control (perceived ability or risk) significantly increase farmers' adoption intention. The only path that determines the actual behavior directly is behavioral intention. These findings suggest that, in addition to social, economic and institutional factors, policies aiming at promoting sustainable agricultural production should address the psychological dimensions of technology adoption. Effective approaches should be developed to cultivate farmers' positive attitudes, social norms consciousness, perceived abilities, as well as reduce perceived risks to increase their interests in adopting the technology. The framework of the theory of planned behavior regarding the formula fertilizer and soil testing technology among large scale producers in East China. Image 106790 • Psychological factors affecting farmers' technology adoption are explored. • Attitude, social pressure and perception affect farmers' adoption intention. • Perceived control only has indirect impact on adoption behavior via intention. • Cultivating farmers' positive attitude toward technology could increase adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]