Evaluating the interlinkage between pesticide residue regulation and agricultural green total factor productivity: empirical insights derived from the threshold effect model

Against the global backdrop of increased focus on green agriculture development, this study utilizes the SBM-DDF model and GML index to assess China's agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) during the period 2010-2021. This study also employs the panel threshold model to examine the nonlinear impact of pesticide residue regulation (PRR) on AGTFP. Results show a consistent improvement in China's AGTFP, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 0.14%. Green technology efficiency emerges as the key driver of this growth. PRR exerts a considerably positive influence on AGTFP and exhibits a distinct dual threshold characteristic. Specifically, the positive effect of PRR on AGTFP is comparatively lower in the high and low threshold ranges than in the middle-high threshold range. On the basis of the empirical analysis, this paper offers policy suggestions to aid government bodies and decision makers in optimizing the pesticide residue regulatory framework and other related domains.