With the development of the internet in China, information asymmetry in traditional agriculture production has been alleviated, and the information on modern agricultural technologies and production factor mobility has been widely disseminated, significantly impacting the country’s grain productivity and output. The pertinence and effectiveness of food security system arrangement can be ensured by revealing the influence of the internet on grain production. Based on the panel data of 30 provincial administrative regions in China from 1997 to 2018, a mediation model and a moderation model were used to evaluate the effect of internet development on grain output and constraints. The results showed that grain output could be promoted as internet penetration directly increases, and can also be boosted by enhancing technology usage and promoting operation scale expansion through the internet. However, the positive effect of this cycle could be inhibited by rural population aging, as there are many barriers faced by the elderly using information and communication technology (ICT). Strengthening agricultural technology utilization and promoting large-scale operation can encourage the development of rural internet, consequently improving the national food security guarantee capacity. It is equally important to simplify internet usage to alleviate the adverse impact of population aging on grain output. This study contributes to three sections of literature on (i) the factors influencing grain output, (ii) the mediating effects of the information transmission function of the internet, (iii) and the potential impact of aging in the information era. Exploring agricultural growth from an innovative perspective of the internet can provide a reference for ensuring food security and agricultural informatization.

In developing countries, supply chains are rapidly transforming. However, smallholder farmers, in particular, have experienced mixed impacts in inclusion and exclusion from modern supply chains (MSC). Therefore, by taking Pakistan’s mandarin industry as a case, this study aims to analyze the farmers’ efficiency and inclusiveness in modern supply chains and compare them across the farm size categories, i.e., small, medium, and large. For that purpose, cross-sectional data from 300 farmers were collected to test the posit objectives. The empirical investigation was made using the endogenous treatment effect model and the propensity score matching approach. Findings show that large farmers prefer to participate in MSC, driven by contractors, processors or exporters. Conversely, the smallholders are more inclined to participate in the traditional supply chains (TSCs), driven by village vendors, local retailers/consumers, middlemen, and traditional fruit and vegetable markets. The results also revealed a positive connection between efficiency and farmers’ inclusion in the MSC. Orchard size, education, off-farm income, and extension services positively impact profitability. In terms of an increase in farmers’ profitability, the efficiency improvement can benefit the resource-poor smallholders who make up 74% of the total farmers in the sample. Therefore, these results are noteworthy for devising policy actions to facilitate smallholder inclusion in the modern agri-food supply chains to alleviate rural poverty and ensure farmers’ wellbeing.

Although organic rice is a niche market in Pakistan, it has exhibited enormous potential for growth in export-oriented production. Since contract farming is the leading promoter of export-oriented organic rice production in Punjab, Pakistan, improving the technical efficiency of smallholder rice farmers through contract farming holds sufficient potential. This work examines the influence of contract farming participation on smallholder rice farmers’ technical efficiency using a cross-sectional data set of 650 respondents. We applied a stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to examine the production frontier and inefficiency estimates. Further, propensity score matching (PSM) was used to control endogeneity and self-selection bias in technical efficiency estimates. The results reveal that the technical efficiency score of organic rice farmers in Punjab, Pakistan, is 89.7%, which can still be improved by 10.3% at the current sociodemographic characters and input levels. Likewise, land size, seed, and machine expenditures are the key inputs of the production frontier. Results show a positive and significant connection between contract farming participation and technical efficiency. The study extends the literature on technical efficiency, export-oriented production, contract farming, and the well-being of smallholder farmers. Moreover, the study’s findings provide cues for policies and practices.

Land-tenure security is integral to local communities’ socioeconomic development. It has been a center of debate in academia and for legislators and advocates to implement reforms to enhance efficient and sustainable development in land management. Yet, knowledge gaps remain in how various contract-farming regimes contribute to land-improvement investment and technical efficiency. This study used a data set of 650 farm households collected through a two-stage stratified sampling to investigate the influence of three contract-farming regimes: long-term, medium-term, and short-term contracts, on the land-improvement investment, productivity, and technical efficiency of contract farmers in Punjab, Pakistan. The study used multivariate probit and ordinary least square regression models to examine the posit relationships. The findings highlight that farmers with long-term land contracts have higher per hectare yield, income and profit than those with medium-term and short-term contracts. The results confirm that farmers with medium- and long-term contracts tend to invest more in land-improvement measures, i.e., organic and green manure. Further, the study findings demonstrate that long-term land tenures are more effective when farmers make decisions regarding the on-farm infrastructure, like tube-well installation, tractor ownership, and holding farm logistics. Last, the study results confirm that long-term contracts are more robust regarding technical efficiency. Moreover, the findings support the Marshallian inefficiency hypothesis and extend the literature on contract farming, land-improvement investment, and land use policy, and offer coherent policy actions for stakeholders to improve farmers’ productivity, technical efficiency, and income.