The slowdown in income not only hinders the sustainable development of farmers but also exacerbates ecological and environmental problems. Likewise, the digital economy model represented by e-commerce has become a key path for growing farmers’ income. This article is based on 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey data and uses the OLS and mediation effect models to examine the impact and mechanism of e-commerce operations on farmers’ income. The research results indicate that e-commerce operations can significantly improve the income level of farmers. After robustness and endogeneity tests, this conclusion still holds. The mechanism analysis results indicate that e-commerce operations promote farmers’ income growth by enhancing information acquisition, reducing operating costs, and enhancing financial support. The results of the heterogeneity analysis indicate that the impact of e-commerce on farmers’ income is heterogeneous in terms of income structure, education level, and regional distribution. Specifically, e-commerce significantly increases farmers’ agricultural operating income, non-agricultural operating income, and transfer income but significantly reduces their wage income. At the same time, e-commerce has a more significant income-increasing effect on highly educated and central and western farmers. Therefore, in promoting the development of a rural digital economy, it is necessary to improve the supporting facilities of e-commerce in rural areas; strengthen the supply of information, technology, capital, talent, and other elements; continue to improve the inclusiveness of rural e-commerce; and promote the sustainable growth of farmers’ income. The above findings not only provide new channels and ideas for farmers to increase income through e-commerce operations, but also help relevant decision-making departments to formulate new policies to promote farmers’ income growth and the development of e-commerce in China.

Income inequality impedes rural economic development. As the digital economy advances, e-commerce (EC) offers a novel solution to reduce rural income inequality. Based on the framework of the equality of opportunity theory, this research utilizes data from China Rural Revitalization Survey, using the RIF model and mediation effect model to investigate the influence and mechanisms of e-commerce operations (EOs) on the farmers’ income gap (FIG), while also analyzing the heterogeneity of EO’s effects on the FIG. Consequently, the impact of the varying scales and modes of EOs on the FIG is further examined. The findings indicate that EO can substantially diminish the FIG, as corroborated by robustness and endogeneity tests. The findings of the intermediate effect indicate that EO diminishes the FIG by reducing the disparity in labor endowment. The heterogeneity study results indicated that EOs are more effective in reducing the FIG in western China, major grain-producing areas, and mountainous areas. Further discussion reveals a stronger reduction effect of large-scale and platform EC. This study provides micro-level evidence that the digital economy empowers farmers for sustainable development and prosperity. The government should improve rural EC support and create a mechanism for disadvantaged rural populations. To reduce EC development discrepancies and promote farmer equity, specific assistance programs for undeveloped regions are needed. Local governments can also strengthen skill training programs for farmers, especially low-income ones, to boost labor skills. Finally, they can assist rural EC’s transformation to large scale and flat, maximize its role in employment, and narrow the FIG.

The digital economy is increasingly recognized as a key force behind sustainable agricultural development, transforming farm management and enhancing food security through innovation, resource optimization, and data-driven decision-making. This study examines how participation in the digital economy affects the agricultural management scale of high-quality farmers in Jiangxi Province, China. Based on survey data from 868 farmers collected in 2022, we apply Ordinary Least Squares regression models, instrumental variable approaches, and mediation analysis to identify the mechanisms at work. The findings indicate that digital economy participation significantly expands agricultural management scale by promoting land transfer-in and elevating farmers’ subjective social status. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact is more pronounced among older farmers and those not intending to pursue further education. These insights highlight the essential role of digital tools in fostering sustainable and scalable farming practices and offer practical implications for rural digital transformation strategies.

Enhancing farmers’ enthusiasm for grain cultivation is crucial for ensuring national food security. Based on survey data from the “Double Hundred and Double Thousand” farmers in Jiangxi Province, this study measures farmers’ enthusiasm for grain cultivation through their double-cropping rice cultivation behavior and employs Probit and Tobit models to empirically analyze the impact of farmers’ digital literacy on their enthusiasm for grain cultivation in traditional double-cropping rice production areas of Jiangxi, as well as its underlying mechanisms. The findings reveal: (1) Improving farmers’ digital literacy exerts a significantly positive influence on their enthusiasm for grain cultivation, promoting double-cropping rice adoption and expanding cultivation areas in traditional production regions. This conclusion remains robust after rigorous testing. (2) Mechanism analysis identifies three pathways: accelerating farmland transfer-in, facilitating the utilization of agricultural machinery socialization services, and promoting the adoption of green grain production technologies, through which enhanced digital literacy drives double-cropping rice cultivation and elevates cultivation enthusiasm. (3) Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the positive effect of digital literacy on double-cropping rice cultivation is more pronounced among farmers with higher educational attainment and the level of household part-time farming. Therefore, policies should prioritize elevating farmers’ overall digital literacy, narrowing digital capability gaps, refining land transfer procedures and mechanisms, leveraging the advantages of farmers’ cooperatives, and advancing the dissemination of agricultural machinery socialization services and green grain production technologies.