Enhancing Agricultural Development through Industry Integration: A Biotechnological Analysis of Multiple Mediating Effects

Abstract

This study investigates the role of agricultural industry integration in promoting high-quality agricultural growth, focusing on the mechanisms through which this integration influences development through industrial structure optimization and technological progress. Utilizing inter-provincial panel data from 2008 to 2016, we construct a dual mediator model to quantitatively assess these relationships and explore the existence of regional heterogeneity in their effects. Our analysis reveals that technological progress and optimization of the industrial structure are pivotal pathways through which industry integration significantly enhances agricultural development at the national level. However, the mediating role of industrial structure optimization is comparatively less impactful than that of technological advancements. Regionally, the influence of industry integration exhibits marked variability. In the eastern regions, the direct effects of integration are not significant, yet they play a dominant role in the central regions compared to intermediary effects. In light of these findings, we propose several strategies tailored to leverage the biotechnological potential within agricultural industry integration. These include enhancing the integration of agricultural sectors to maximize the mediation effects of technology and industrial structure, addressing regional disparities by customizing policy measures to fit local conditions, and promoting the transition of the agricultural industry structure towards more service-oriented models. These strategies are aimed at fostering sustainable and high-quality agricultural development by harnessing the transformative potential of biotechnological innovations.