Introduction: The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (GECP) not only improves the grassland ecosystem, but also encourages more and more full-time herdsmen to take up non-pastoral employment. This raises an important question: does non-pastoral employment have a differential impact on overgrazing among herdsmen, and how does it affect the effectiveness of policy implementation? Addressing this question will provide a scientific foundation for the sustainable development of grassland pastoral areas.Methods: Utilizing data from 542 herdsmen in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia, this paper employs a double difference model to analyze the impact of the GECP on the overgrazing behavior of herdsmen with non-pastoral employment.Results: The research findings indicate that: (1) The GECP exacerbates overgrazing behavior among full-time pastoral herdsmen (PH1 herdsmen) and those with non-pastoral employment at low levels (PH2 herdsmen), while it mitigates such behavior among herdsmen with non-pastoral employment at high levels (PH3 herdsmen); (2) Non-pastoral employment significantly enhances the inhibitory effects of the GECP on herdsmen’s overgrazing behavior; (3) The influence of grassland rent-in and barn feeding on herdsmen’s overgrazing behavior varies according to the levels of non-pastoral employment among herdsmen.Discussion: Therefore, this paper suggests that the government should continue to optimize the policy, along with differentiated subsidy methods and content. It also advocates for guiding herdsmen towards non-pastoral employment to achieve sustainable development of both ecological and economic aspects in pastoral areas.

In the comprehensive advancement of rural revitalization, strengthening the development of regional public brands for agricultural and livestock products plays a critical role in increasing the income of farmers and herders. This study uses Inner Mongolia as a case and utilizes county-level panel data from 2012 to 2023. Employing empirical methods such as the fixed effects model, threshold effects model, and spatial econometric model, it examines the impact of regional public brand development on the income growth of farmers and herders. The results demonstrate that, in Inner Mongolia, the development of these regional public brands significantly boosts the income of farmers and herders by driving the growth of the agricultural industry. In terms of heterogeneity, the income-enhancing effect of regional public brands exhibits clear regional variation, and the impact on income growth markedly differs across different types of brands. Further analysis reveals that as the level of county urbanization increases, the income-enhancing effect of regional public brand development shows a continually strengthening trend. Moreover, this brand development exhibits a distinct spatial spillover effect; it not only promotes income growth within the brand's own region but also radiates to neighboring areas, driving up incomes in adjacent regions. Based on this analysis, this paper argues for persistently and steadily advancing the development of regional public brands for agricultural and livestock products. It is essential to actively promote the processing industry for these products, strengthen industrial chain integration, improve benefit-linking mechanisms and urban-rural coordination systems. By tailoring strategies to local conditions and sustaining long-term efforts, the brand effect can be substantially enhanced to better empower farmers and herders in increasing their incomes.