Impact of Agricultural Labor Transfer and Structural Adjustment on Chemical Application: Comparison of Past Developments in the Ecological Civilization Pilot Zones of China and Their Future Implications

Reducing the application of agricultural chemicals is a key point in promoting the construction of an ecological civilization and the green development of the agricultural sector. Based on statistical yearbook data from provinces which became the first national ecological civilization pilot zones in China, this paper quantitatively analyzes the impact of labor transfers and structural adjustment of agriculture on the application of agricultural chemicals by using comparative analysis and a panel data model. The results show that the amplitude of the agricultural labor force in Fujian, Guizhou, and Jiangxi decreases successively. The planting structure adjustment for grain crops is slowest in Jiangxi, while the sown area of cash crops, such as vegetables, increases at the fastest rate in Guizhou. The increase of horticultural plants, such as orchards is the most obvious in Jiangxi. The application of agricultural chemicals grows quickly. The influence of the agricultural labor force scale on the application of fertilizers and pesticides is statistically significantly negative. The ratio of the sown area of non-grain crops to the total sown area has a positive effect on the application of fertilizers and pesticides. In the context of the continuing agricultural labor transfer in China, combining the structural adjustment of agriculture and the supply of high-quality agricultural products, the government should actively guide and support new agricultural business entities in applying organic manure. Additionally, it should accelerate the development of smaller agricultural machinery that can be used for smaller land areas and by elderly people to reduce the application of chemical fertilizer and pesticide