Empowering Forestry Management and Farmers’ Income Growth Through the Digital Economy—Empirical Evidence from Guizhou Province, China

Facilitating the sustained and stable growth of farmers’ income is crucial for achieving sustainable development in forest regions. As an emerging driving force, the digital economy has demonstrated substantial potential in enhancing farmers’ income and promoting regional economic prosperity in forest areas. Based on survey data from 1043 households across 10 counties in Guizhou Province, China, this study empirically examined the direct and indirect effects of digital economy participation on income growth among farmers in forest regions. The findings revealed that, first, participation in the digital economy significantly contributed to income growth for these households. This effect remained robust across various estimation methods, restricted sample tests, and when replacing dependent variables. Second, forestry management and its diversification played a mediating role in the relationship between digital economy participation and farmers’ income. Participation in the digital economy indirectly influenced income growth by fostering forestry management activities and their diversification. Third, the heterogeneity analysis indicated that digital economy participation had a significant positive impact on the income growth of pure farming households, part-time farming households, and households that had previously escaped poverty. This discovery underscored the unique role of the digital economy in alleviating poverty and preventing its recurrence. The conclusions of this study provide essential theoretical and practical guidance for empowering forestry development through the digital economy and advancing the digital transformation of the forestry industry. More critically, this research presents a novel pathway for the deep integration of the digital economy with forestry, jointly fostering income growth for farmers in forest regions, which holds significant implications for achieving rural sustainable development.