Abstract Based on the survey data of large sample farmers in 29 provinces in 2021, this paper examines the influence and mechanism of digital financial use on the formalization of rural land transfer contract selection by using the models of Oprobit, Cmp, Psm and intermediary effect. The results show that the use of digital finance significantly promotes the formalization of the choice of agricultural land transfer contracts, and the conclusion remains still valid after a series of endogenous and robust tests. The analysis of the function mechanism indicates that the use of digital finance significantly improves the formalization of the choice of agricultural land transfer contract by tearing up the differential order pattern of agricultural land transfer, breaking through the limited rationality of farmers and enhancing the stability of non-agricultural employment. Heterogeneity analysis manifests that digital finance has a more significant positive impact on farmers who choose formal farmland transfer contracts in areas with lower level of education, larger scale of farmland transfer and lower level of marketization. Based on this, this paper puts forward some policy suggestions, such as strengthening the support for the development of digital finance in rural areas, promoting the deep integration of digital finance and agricultural land transfer market, and strengthening the publicity and training of the use of digital finance.
MA Yafei,MI Yunsheng,HUANG Jingyi et al. Digital Finance and Formalization of Farmers’ Farmland Transfer Contract Selection: Influence Effect and Its Mechanism. Economic Survey, 2024, 41(2): 029.
2024, Vol. 41 
