Eco-efficiency and Determinants of Plot-Scale Cultivated Land in Hilly Regions in Fujian

Eco-efficiency is an effective indicator for evaluating the economic and environmental performances of a cultivated land. Based on the micro-survey data on 146 plots in the hilly areas of Fujian province, the eco-efficiencies of the cultivated land and its inputs were calculated using the bootstrap-DEA model. The determinants of the eco-efficiency were analyzed by the double bootstrap truncated regression model. It was found that the bias-corrected eco-efficiency of the cultivated land was 0.610 7, and the eco-efficiencies on inputs of fertilizer, pesticide and energy were 0.679 9, 0.575 5 and 0.481 9, respectively. The regression analysis showed that the cultivation scale, professionalism, product certification and multiple cropping index impacted the eco-efficiency significantly, and that the implemented environmental remedies had yet exerted a significant effect. The overall eco-efficiency remained relatively low for the regions. Conservative land development, enhanced green practices, and ecologically appropriate agriculture were seen necessary to improve the eco-efficiency of the cultivated land in the hilly areas.