Farmers’ Digital Literacy and Its Impact on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from China

Digital literacy (DL) among farmers serves as a vital link between digital technology and green sustainable development, significantly enhancing agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP). This study employs panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) covering 2014–2020, applying a two-way fixed effects model and machine learning techniques to examine the influence of farmers’ digital literacy on AGTFP. The results indicate that DL positively contributes to AGTFP. Further heterogeneity analysis shows stronger effects among male farmers, households with low trust, and those within the working-age population. Mechanism analysis indicates that social capital accumulation mediates the relationship, whereas agricultural socialization services strengthen the positive impact of DL on AGTFP. Additional analysis using machine learning models reveals that the impact of farmers’ digital literacy on AGTFP changes over time. Specifically, entertainment and learning-oriented network use enhances AGTFP, whereas work-related, social, and lifestyle-related use suppresses it. This study offers a more nuanced understanding by shifting from traditional macro-level frameworks to a micro-level perspective focused on farmers’ digital literacy. Moreover, the innovative application of explainable machine learning provides empirical evidence for the underlying drivers of AGTFP.