Research on the Coupling Coordination Degree and Obstacle Factors of Digital Inclusive Finance and Digital Agriculture in Rural China

In the context of advancing agricultural and rural modernization in China, digital agriculture has gained significant governmental attention. However, existing research has predominantly focused on examining the relationship from digital inclusive finance to digital agriculture, while in-depth investigations into their bidirectional coupled coordination, spatiotemporal evolution, and underlying obstacle factors remain limited. To address this research gap, this study aims to construct innovative evaluation index systems for both domains and to establish a coupling coordination degree model alongside an obstacle degree model. This methodological framework is designed to examine the bidirectional coupled coordination, reveal its spatiotemporal evolution patterns, and identify key obstacle factors across 30 Chinese provinces. Results indicate a consistent annual improvement in the coupling coordination level across provinces. Many regions have progressed from moderate or mild dysfunction to marginal or primary coordination, with coordination degrees ranging between 0.5 and 0.6 by 2022. Specifically, the eastern region recorded 0.586, the central region 0.562, and the western region 0.531. Regional disparities are identified as the primary source of variation. Key obstacles include insufficient support from digital finance to agriculture, the east–west development gap, low actual usage of digital financial services, volatility in agricultural production price indices, and high agricultural carbon emissions. Recommendations focus on bridging regional gaps, strengthening financial support, and addressing these impediments, which are crucial for promoting sustainable development.