Impact of Non-agricultural Experience on New Farmers' Participation in E-commerce in China: A Mediation Analysis Based on Business Conditions

A total of 674 questionnaires were distributed in this research, and after the questionnaire information was summarized and processed, a total of 572 valid questionnaires could be applied to this study. Among the valid questionnaires, 216 were from the central part (Anhui Province and Henan Province), 182 were from the eastern part (Zhejiang Province and Jiangsu Province), and 174 were from the western part (Sichuan Province and Gansu Province).In recent years, new farmers returning from non-agricultural sectors have become an important force in promoting the development of China's agricultural e-commerce. By studying the impact mechanism of non-farming work experience on their participation in e-commerce, the aim is to guide these returning new farmers to drive the development of agricultural e-commerce, improve industrial efficiency, and achieve agricultural modernization. Taking 572 new farmers returning to their hometowns in China as the target, considering the binary nature of the e-commerce participation decision (participate or not) and the continuous yet potentially censored nature of the participation degree data, the binary logistic model and Tobit model were used to analyse the influence of non-farming experience and the behaviour and degree of participation in agricultural e-commerce, and to further discuss whether there is a mediating effect of the business situation in it.