This study aims to assess the willingness of the new generation of farmers in China to return to their hometowns for the purpose of contributing to rural tourism. Based on the hierarchy of effects models (HOE) and the social representation theory (SRT), this study utilized an analysis model of perceived rural tourism impacts (P), sense of place (SoP), and willingness to participate (WTP) by the new generation of farmers, where sense of place was deconstructed into the two independent dimensions of place identification (PI) and place attachment (PA). A total of 263 valid questionnaire surveys were collected in Yanling County, a demonstration county for leisure agriculture and rural tourism in China. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to analyze the data. The results show that the perceived impacts of rural tourism on the new generation of farmers had a significant positive impact on their willingness to participate in the development of rural tourism. It was also found that sense of place played a mediating role in the perceived impacts of rural tourism and willingness to participate. Additionally, perceived impacts of rural tourism had a significant positive effect on place identity, where place identity played a mediating role between perceived impacts of rural tourism and place attachment. Place identity had a significant positive effect on place attachment, and place attachment played a mediating role between place identity and willingness to participate. The practical implications of these findings for future research and rural tourism development are also discussed.

In the context of agricultural modernization in China, this paper examines the micro-level perspective of agricultural value chains. Drawing from three primary models of agricultural value chain cooperation—namely, “leading enterprises + small farmers”, “leading enterprises + cooperatives + small farmers”, and “corporate integration”—it establishes four game models: the decentralized decision-making game model, the two revenue-sharing game models, and the centralized decision-making game model. It systematically analyzes the cooperation mechanisms between leading enterprises and small farmers in upstream production links of the agricultural value chain, aiming to improve the cooperation strategy between leading enterprises and small farmers, elevate the status of small farmers in the agricultural value chain, promote increased income for farmers, and strengthen the agricultural value chain. The research findings are as follows: Firstly, the traditional contract of “leading enterprise + smallholder farmers” is incomplete, which makes it difficult to avoid opportunism and moral hazard that may arise between the two parties. By comparing multiple parameter values, it is found that this model is at a lower level of agricultural value chain development. Secondly, the model of “leading enterprise + cooperative + smallholder farmers” improves the tightness and stability of cooperation between leading enterprises and smallholder farmers. This model explains to some extent the operability of smallholder farmers sharing the value of the agricultural value chain. Compared with various parameter values, this model is at a medium level between other models. Finally, the “corporate integration” model is a fully vertical integration model. Compared with various parameter values, this model is at an advanced stage of agricultural value chain development. Therefore, agricultural value chains will ultimately develop toward the direction of corporate integration. This study has positive practical significance for enhancing the status and claim rights of small farmers, promoting increased income for farmers, enhancing the consistency of values between leading enterprises and small farmers, strengthening the stability of the agricultural value chain, and ultimately achieving common prosperity and agricultural modernization in China.

The rural wealth-leader is one of the 10 projects of targeted poverty alleviation in the period of poverty alleviation. As the “leading wild goose” in rural areas, the personal characteristics of the rural wealth-leader directly affect the effect of stabilizing poverty and increasing income of poor farmers. Based on the survey of the rural wealth-leader in 10 cities and 21 counties, this paper systematically analyzes the path of poverty reduction by the rural wealth-leader, combs out the key individual characteristics that affect farmers’ poverty reduction, and puts forward a research hypothesis. Through empirical analysis, the research hypothesis is tested and the influencing mechanism is analyzed. The model results show that: The rural wealth-leader has a significant effect on increasing farmers’ income and eliminating poverty. The rural wealth-leader with high education level and engaged in e-commerce has a significant effect on increasing farmers’ income. Party members and the skilled rural wealth-leaders have a significant impact on rural households’ poverty alleviation. The income increasing effect of culture and education is negatively affected by corporate loans, and the income increasing effect of e-commerce is negatively affected by corporate profits. Therefore, we should improve the profit distribution mode of e-commerce related enterprises to avoid farmers being marginalized in the process of e-commerce development. The skills, management and financial knowledge training of the rural wealth-leaders should be strengthened to improve their knowledge and skills. Meanwhile, supporting fiscal, financial and tax policies should be improved.