Exploring disparities in employment location and structure: The influence of off-farm employment on reducing chemical fertilizer usage

There has been a discrepancy in opinions regarding the correlation between off-farm employment and the decrease in the usage of chemical fertilizers. This study considers the locational and structural attributes of nonagricultural employment within the labor force and employs the IV-Probit model to examine the causal factors behind farmers' decrease in usage of chemical fertilizers, using survey data from Sichuan Province. The findings suggest that: (1) Farmers in the plain area (Qionglai) tend to have an equal proportion of local and non-local employment; while farmers in the hilly area (Luxian) tend to have more local employment; farmers in the mountainous area (Nanjiang) tend to have more non-local employment. (2) Local employment has a negative significant effect on the decrease in usage of chemical fertilizers, while non-local employment has a positive significant effect on the decrease in usage of chemical fertilizers. (3) Economic differentiation and ecological cognition play a part in mediating effects on farmers' decrease in usage of chemical fertilizers behavior. (4) Further analysis shows that the negative effect of local employment on the decrease in usage of chemical fertilizers is stronger for women than for men, and the positive effect of non-local employment on the decrease in usage of chemical fertilizers is stronger for women than for men. In addition, the new generation of local employment had a significant negative effect on the decrease in the usage of chemical fertilizers. The new generation of non-local employment has a significant positive effect on the decrease in the usage of chemical fertilizers.