Does farmer entrepreneurship promote willingness to participate in domestic waste management? An empirical analysis from China

This study examines the impact of farmer entrepreneurship (FAE) on the willingness of farmers to participate in domestic waste management (DWM) using farm household data from the China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS). The results show that (1) FAE can significantly boost the willingness to participate in DWM, and the conclusion still holds after adopting the CMP (conditional mixed process) model to solve the endogeneity problem. (2) From the perspective of entrepreneurial motivation, opportunity-driven entrepreneurs (ODEs) are more willing to participate in DWM than necessity-driven entrepreneurs (NDEs). In terms of the education level of rural residents, those with high levels of education (HEDU) are more likely to participate in DWM than those with low levels of education (LEDU). (3) Socioeconomic status (SES) and sociometric status (SMS) play a mediating role between FAE and willingness to participate in DWM. In other words, FAE can improve the willingness to manage domestic waste by enhancing SESs and SMSs. This study provides empirical evidence and policy implications on how to promote rural DWM and improve rural habitat in China.