The influence of green subsidy on the low-carbon production transformation of pig farmers: An exploration based on differentiated subsidy approaches

Reducing agricultural carbon emissions is crucial for achieving China's carbon reduction targets and promoting sustainable agricultural development. Using survey data from 797 pig farmers in Shandong province, this study empirically examines the impact and transformation mechanisms of various green subsidy approaches on low-carbon production transition. The results show that green subsidies significantly encourage farmers to adopt low-carbon practices. Specifically, cash and insurance subsidies prove more effective than other subsidy types. The low-carbon effects of green subsidies are primarily realized through four pathways: reducing transition costs, increasing expected returns, enhancing value recognition, and expanding breeding scale. Specifically, cash and insurance subsidies work primarily by reducing transition costs, whereas in-kind subsidies function chiefly by expanding breeding scale. Green subsidies exhibit group-specific differences in their low-carbon effects, and combined subsidy packages demonstrate significant policy synergy. This research holds important implications for precisely designing and optimizing green subsidy policies to effectively promote farmers' low-carbon production transformation.