The impact of industrial policies oriented toward the digital economy on the resilience of the agricultural industrial chain

Enhancing the resilience of the agricultural industrial chain (RAIC) is crucial for ensuring food security and promoting rural development, and developing the digital economy is a key path in this regard. This paper focuses on the policy practice of the National Digital Economy Innovation and Development Pilot Zone (DEPZ), regarding it as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2022, using PSM-DID, it empirically examines the impact of the DEPZ policy on RAIC and its internal mechanism. The research found that the DEPZ policy significantly increased RAIC within the region. Its mechanism of action is mainly reflected in: enhancing resilience through two intermediary paths, namely alleviating the financing constraints (FC) of agricultural business entities and promoting agricultural technological innovation (ATI). Further analysis reveals that the level of urban-rural integration (URI) has played a positive moderating role in the mediation process of alleviating the above-mentioned FC and promoting ATI. This study provides empirical evidence for understanding the specific mechanisms by which the digital economy empowers agricultural modernization and indicates that the precise application of industrial policies, especially the coordinated promotion of the development of the digital economy and the integration of urban and rural areas, is an important strategic direction for effectively enhancing the resilience of the agricultural industrial chain.