The impact of agricultural specialization on dietary diversity in rural China

Abstract Clarifying the linkage of rural households’ agricultural specialization and dietary diversity is crucial for promoting agricultural transformation and development, and improving food security and dietary quality among rural residents. A household dietary survey was conducted to investigate this association in rural China. The findings indicate that agricultural specialization is linked with decreased dietary diversity among smallholders. The decline in farm production diversity underscores the crucial role that markets play in shaping the diets of farm households. The heterogeneous analysis unveils the mediation effect of market on the relationship between agricultural production and food consumption and further confirms the importance of market access to smallholders’ dietary diversity. The results indicate that against the backdrop of agricultural specialization and a significant rural-to-urban migration, A series of complementary measures should be implemented for smallholders’ food consumption welfare. The stable food market availability is a key strategy for ensuring adequate dietary diversity for rural residents.