Industrial agglomeration and dairy industry resilience enhancement: evidence from China

Introduction The polarization effect of industrial agglomeration is a key driver of industrial development. Methods This study seeks to provide a policy basis for enhancing dairy industry resilience through industrial agglomeration. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces over 2012–2024, we apply a baseline regression model, a mediation-effect model, and spatial econometric models to empirically examine the effect, mechanism, and spatial dimension of dairy farming agglomeration on dairy industry resilience. Results and discussion (1) dairy farming agglomeration significantly enhances dairy industry resilience; (2) technological innovation serves as an important transmission channel through which agglomeration affects dairy industry resilience, while the level of industrialization exerts a positive moderating effect; (3) heterogeneity analysis indicates that the resilience-enhancing effect of agglomeration is more pronounced in regions with high agglomeration and in large-scale farming areas; (4) dairy farming agglomeration generates a positive spatial spillover effect. It not only strengthens dairy industry resilience in the region where it occurs but also radiates to neighboring regions, thereby promoting their resilience as well. Accordingly, policy should focus on fostering dairy farming agglomeration, accelerating the development and application of core technologies, and continuously strengthening industry competitiveness so as to comprehensively enhance the industry resilience and sustainable development capacity of the dairy industry.