Land Transfer, Collective Action and the Implementation of Soil and Water Conservation Measures in the Loess Plateau of China

Based on the data of rural households in the Loess Plateau of China, this paper uses exploratory factor analysis to measure the degree of participation of farmers in collective action from the information, participation, organization and effect of action. Through Bootstrap mediation effect test, this paper tests the direct impact of land transfer area and period on farmers implementation of soil and water conservation measures, and the indirect impact of transfer area and period on the implementation of soil and water conservation measures by changing the participation of farmers in collective action. The result shows: transfer area has a direct impact on the using of terraced fields, plastic film and afforestation. The transfer period has a direct impact on the implementation of terraced fields, plastic film, afforestation and water-saving irrigation techniques. While collective action plays a mediating role in the process of transfer area affecting farmers use of terraced fields, afforestation and water-saving irrigation techniques, its mediating role in the use of plastic film is not significant. While the mediating role of collective action is significant in the transfer period affecting the implementation of terraced field and water-saving irrigation techniques, it is not significant in using plastic film and afforestation. Acknowledgement : This paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 71473197 and 71673223) and the Humanity and Social Science Youth foundation of Ministry of Education of China (Project No. 17YJC790059).