Coupling Farmers' Quality of Life with Rural Revitalization Policy in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area

Coupling Farmers' Quality of Life with Rural Revitalization Policy in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Coupling Farmers' Quality of Life with Rural Revitalization Policy in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Yunfei Hu, Baizhan Lei, Yan Xiang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835481/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The main societal challenge in China has shifted to balancing the population’s growing demand for an improved quality of life with limited, uneven development. This study examines how rural population characteristics influence rural revitalization policies in a city within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Through in-depth interviews with local farmers and Q methodology analysis, we identify three farmer archetypes based on their views toward industry, talent, culture, environment, and organizational structures revitalization: modern management, local nostalgia, and negative livelihood. Each group shares concerns regarding farmland preservation, favorable weather, and homestead security, highlighting common policy needs such as protecting arable land, improving soil fertility, expanding agricultural insurance, constructing high-standard farmland, supporting facility agriculture, and confirming homestead rights. Farmers recognize that diminishing arable land poses significant challenges to agricultural progress, while technology and operational scaling are vital to mitigating weather-related risks. Diverse aspirations shape each group’s pursuit of a "good life": modern managers seek government support for a thriving rural economy; local nostalgists prioritize stable operations and sales networks; and negative livelihood types favor improved rural infrastructure and cultural amenities. For effective policy promotion, local authorities should align policies with farmers’ unique needs and backgrounds to foster active participation in revitalization efforts. Social science/Social policy Social science/Development studies Farmers Good life Classification China Rural revitalization Figures Figure 1 1. Introduction For millennia, the pursuit of a “good life” has been a central human endeavor. In the context of China’s modern development, understanding rural agricultural producers’ views on quality of life is essential to effectively implement a national rural revitalization strategy. However, the motivations and preferences of farmers remain understudied: What aspects of life concern them most? How do they perceive the current policies? And are they adequately supported to adapt to these changes? The Chinese government emphasizes fostering a sense of security, happiness, and shared prosperity, as highlighted in the 2021 national address by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The Strategic Plan for Rural Revitalization (2018–2022) targets comprehensive rural revitalization by 2050, driving the ongoing development of agriculture and rural areas based on "prosperous industries, livable ecology, civilized rural customs, effective governance, and a prosperous life" (China Government Network, 2018). Zhang (2024) pointed out that farmers' happiness is the key to measuring the quality of rural development. A nuanced understanding of rural households’ characteristics and their influence on revitalization strategies is necessary to improve the relevance and precision of these policies. To address this, a qualitative study using Q methodology was conducted among farmers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), allowing an exploration of their diverse perspectives and expectations for a fulfilling life. 2. A Review of the Connotation of “Good Life” 2.1 Farmers’ “Good Life” in Urban Agglomerations As urbanization accelerates, cities face heightened environmental pressures, with natural disasters and human interference increasingly impacting rural areas (Wang Huihui et al., 2024). Developing urban agriculture has emerged as a strategic priority in several major Chinese cities (Ma Jia et al., 2014). Yet, the focus on industrialization and urbanization has disrupted the rural production landscape, endangering food security (Dala-Paula, 2018). Research on urban agriculture in urban agglomerations has highlighted the integration of urban and agricultural areas through technological and cultural exchange (Pradhan et al., 2024; Mulya, 2024; Liu et al., 2020). In particular, studies have addressed energy resource use, environmental sustainability, and consumption practices (Zhang et al., 2023; Vicente et al., 2021; Li and Fu et al., 2020). Yang Ren et al. (2023) pointed out in their study that, migrant agriculture emphasizes the economic function, and the transformation process of its material space is reflected in the non-grainization and concentration of cultivated land and the differentiation of community living space, which in turn brings about group exclusion and spatial isolation in social space.It suggested that the inflow of agricultural labor may promote cultural identity in urban agglomerations. Scholars like Zhang (2018) have argued that "a good life" for rural communities involves not only material well-being but also cultural richness, social respect, political integrity, and aesthetic environmental balance, aligned with the goals of rural revitalization. Li Hongyan(2019) further suggests that farmers' aspirations are shaped by individual traits and broader societal transitions impacting rural life, closely linked to migration patterns. In early research, economist John Kenneth Galbraith (1958/2009) introduced the concept of "quality of life" in The Affluent Society . More recent studies within the field of positive psychology (Veenhoven et al., 2019) suggest that happiness and well-being can generate positive feedback loops, further enriching material and social environments. Key determinants of well-being among farmers include physical health (Li et al., 2015), health security (Zheng, 2017), living conditions (Ye Minshen, 2019), employment status (Anna, 2019), resilience to adversity (Rahman et al., 2023), and demographic factors such as gender, age, education (Asadullah, 2018), income distribution equality (Huang, 2019), and livelihood stability (Kleemann, 2015; Wang, 2019). Xu Hong (2022) observed that the collective societal perception and individual farmers' views do not always align. Empirical findings in Zhejiang Province suggest that living environment and industrial economic stability are the most valued aspects of rural life, indicating that the unique characteristics of rural households are heavily influenced by regional context (Zhang et al., 2022; Hu Yunfei, 2018). 2.2 Recognizing Inherent Differences Among Farmers While studies by Wang Shali et al. (2021) have examined factors influencing farmers’ quality of life, they often treat farmers as mediators of development rather than subjects of research. Zheng Xin et al. (2024) proposed that infrastructure improvements and stronger organizational management reduce farmland abandonment among high attachment level farmers, but did not investigate the behavior of other farmer types. This highlights a gap in research on how diverse household characteristics affect engagement with rural policies. Theoretical exploration of rural development has largely focused on systems and behaviors rather than understanding farmers as individuals (Li, 2009; Chen et al., 2023). According to research by the National Mental Health Assessment and Development Center of the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, happiness stems from need fulfillment, which is both contextual and relative (Veenhoven, 1984, 1991). 2.3 Classifying Farmers by Personality Traits Understanding farmers’ motivations and behavioral patterns can enhance policy efficiency. Banerjee and Duflo (2013) emphasize the need for strategies that accommodate changing individual beliefs, while Sun (2023) argues that labor allocation in agriculture benefits from social support networks. Similarly, Wang Nana's research (2023) illustrates the diversity in technology adoption among rice farmers, suggesting that effective policy must consider farmers’ varying levels of openness to innovation. Li Fan(2023) emphasizes the need to shift from a technological approach to a more life-oriented one, fostering a sense of public spirit through a flexible governance strategy aligned with evolving societal dynamics. In the GBA, the focus has shifted away from alleviating poverty to promoting high-quality development (Luo et al., 2023). Researchers are examining sustainable solutions in urban-rural synergy through industry, infrastructure (Wang Changjian et al., 2024), and ecological balance (Yang Meng, 2024; Zhang, 2023). The perspectives and ambitions of farmers represent a critical, ongoing driver of rural development, but theoretical insights on the intrinsic dynamics within rural households remain limited. Understanding these individual dynamics is essential to create sustainable and secure well-being and rural progress. 3 Research Methods and Data Sources 3.1 Methodology This study uses Q methodology, a research method that explores subjective perceptions by having participants rank statements in a normal distribution, capturing subtle insights from participants’ attitudes and inner desires. While previous studies have focused on the impact of objective conditions on happiness, this study emphasizes subjective perceptions by examining participants’ attitudes, expressions, and responses. Q methodology is unique in prioritizing respondents' data as columns, focusing on participants’ worldviews rather than researcher-designed variables (Brodt et al., 2006). This method captures recurring patterns within groups when addressing certain issues (Brown, 1980). Subjective statements are conveyed through participants’ ranking of statements, which are then categorized in a similar manner to behavioral data analysis (Addams et al., 2000). The Q method is advantageous due to its reliance on focus group perspectives, small sample size requirements, and the importance placed on individual data points in the analysis. Generally, only 20–50 participants and 30–50 statements are needed, as argued by Hermans et al. (2012), who suggested that smaller samples yield meaningful research results. Figure 1 provides a visual overview of the Q methodology process, which was analyzed using the "PQMethod2.35" software. 3.2 Questionnaire Design From April to May 2023, a total of 34 valid Q questionnaires were collected from a city in the GBA through in-person interviews. The questionnaire, designed for Q sorting, included 33 statements across five core aspects aligned with the rural revitalization strategy: "Industrial Prosperity, Ecological Livability, Rural Civilization, Effective Governance, and Affluent Life." The 21 themes covered were as follows, with the number of associated statements in parentheses: Planting and Breeding Technology ( 1 ), Fund Demand ( 1 ), Weather Impact ( 1 ), Career Aspirations for the Next Generation ( 1 ), Production Method Shifts ( 1 ), Lifestyle Changes ( 1 ), Rural Industry Selection ( 2 ), Green Production ( 1 ), Market Influences ( 1 ), Agricultural Development Expectations ( 1 ), Urban vs Rural Life Comparison ( 5 ), Homestead Management ( 1 ), Online Shopping Habits ( 1 ), Rural Aesthetics ( 1 ), Ecological Environment ( 2 ), Policy Requirements ( 5 ), Policy Accessibility ( 1 ), Policy Impact ( 2 ), Rural Cultural Identity ( 1 ), Government's Role in Cultural Life ( 1 ), and Urban-Rural Cultural Preferences ( 2 ). After pilot testing with farmers, the statements were optimized for clarity and printed on cards measuring 5 by 4 cm. Participants rated each card from − 4 (strongly disagree) to + 4 (strongly agree), with 0 indicating neutrality or uncertainty. Using Q sorting, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation, a weighted matrix was derived to represent the diverse attitudes among farmers. method research allows for the exploration of multiple issues (or statements) with a relatively small respondent sample size. In constructing a theoretical set of Q statements, the design principle is guided by the research purpose, which targets the "P-set" (the target group set). In Q methodology, "P-set" denotes the theoretical relevance of issues of certain to a particular group within the study; it can thus be regarded as more theoretically structured and dimensionally relevant, rather than randomly selected (Brown, 1980). Table 1 illustrates the P-set structure used in this study, where 50 combinations demonstrate a robust framework for sample selection. Table 1 P-set Structure for Characterizing the Farmers in GBA Main Effects* Levels N A. Interests (a) industry (b) ecology (c) life (d) organization (e) culture 5 B. Sex (f) male (g) female 2 C. Region (county) (h) municipal district 1 (i) municipal district 2 (j) county 1 (k) county 2 (l) county 3 5 *ABC = ( 5 )( 2 )( 5 ) = 50 combinations. 4 Empirical Results and Analysis 4.1 Results To simplify the initial 34 Q classification samples, four selection criteria were applied: ( 1 ) Inclusion of representative feature samples; ( 2 ) Minimum of two samples per type; ( 3 ) Preference for samples with higher loading values when samples from the same county (district) belong to the same type; and ( 4 ) Supplementation with unlabelled but significant cases, prioritizing female farmer respondents where feasible (The distribution of 34 samples and the selection of 23 samples see the Supplementary File 1). Based on geographical distribution and research sequence, the first round calculation was conducted using 17 samples from the southern region of the city and 17 samples from the northern region of the city. Following the four screening criteria, 23 representative samples were chosen for the first round of classification results, and the second classification round was then conducted. Out of the 23 samples, 22 were labeled as feature types. Detailed characteristics of each type are found in Table 2 , with type I showing the highest overall reliability. Classification scores for each statement are presented in Table 3 . Table 2 Factor characteristic Type Ⅰ Ⅱ Ⅲ Number of labeled samples 10 8 4 Composite reliability 0.976 0.970 0.941 Z value 0.156 0.174 0.243 Table 3 Statements and corresponding scores for three farmer types NO. Statements Ⅰ Ⅱ Ⅲ 1 There are very few people who truly understand agricultural technology and grow (raise) well. 2 a (0.61) 2(1.07) -2(-1.11) ** b 2 I feel that I lack the funds needed to develop modern agriculture. -1(-0.58) ** 3(0.93) 1(0.39) 3 Agriculture is most affected by weather, resulting in unstable income. 3(0.93) 4(2.03) * 2(0.68) 4 I hope my children can have good development in their hometown without having to work in the city. -1(-0.44) -1(-0.22) -1(0.13) 5 I am willing to participate in modern agriculture through job application. 1(0.62) -2(-0.97) ** 2(0.86) 6 I think the products grown with organic fertilizers are better than those grown with chemical fertilizers. 4(1.65) ** 1(0.35) ** -1(-0.27) ** 7 I believe that urban development prospects are better than rural areas. 3(1.15) ** 0(-0.06) 0(0.02) 8 Agriculture is very important, and land should be well preserved to develop agriculture. 4(1.54) 3(0.78) ** 4(1.76) 9 Agriculture is greatly influenced by the market, leading to income instability. -4(-1.92) ** 4(2.01) ** -1(0.02) ** 10 I think urban education is better than rural education -1(-0.28) 0(-0.07) 3(1.8) ** 11 I think the countryside should preserve its scenery. 3(0.98) 2(0.79) -1(-0.6) ** 12 I think the transportation from the village to the city is very convenient. -1(-0.26) 1(0.24) 3(0.85) ** 13 I think online shopping has improved my life. -4(-1.67) ** -1(-0.08) * 1(0.44) * 14 I am willing to expropriate my homestead and exchange it for a house in the city. -3(-1.07) -4(-1.75) -2(-0.67) 15 I am willing to expropriate farmland for other construction purposes. 1(1.14) ** -4(-2.27) ** -2(-0.56) ** 16 I think the lifestyle in the city can affect one's physical health. -2(-1.43) ** 0(0.32) -1(0.14) 17 I prefer our village to develop industry rather than agriculture. -2(-0.7) ** -3(-1.68) ** 4(1.8) ** 18 I am worried about the air pollution in our village. 1(0.51) * -1(-0.27) 0(-0.24) 19 I am worried about the water pollution in our village. -3(-1.4) -1(0) ** -3(-1.54) 20 I think the government needs to improve living conditions for rural areas the most. -2(-0.73) -2(-0.58) -3(-1.17) 21 I think the government most needs to arrange professional and technical personnel for planting and breeding guidance in rural areas. 2(0.59) 1(0.41) 1(-0.14) 22 I think the government needs to plan agricultural land for rural areas in a unified manner. 2(0.78) 1(0.03) 1(0.35) 23 I think the government needs to support young people returning home to start businesses the most. 1(0.12) * 0(-0.16) * 3(1.14) ** 24 I don't know what subsidy policies the government has for agriculture. 0(0.17) 2(0.7) * 0(0.03) 25 Nowadays, relying solely on fertilizers and pesticides has led to a decline in the quality of agricultural products. 0(0.07) 3(0.85) 2(0.77) 26 I think the government needs to improve the ecological environment for rural areas the most. 1(0.46) 1(0.49) 0(0.12) * 27 I think the government's promotion of local rural culture has an impact on me. 0(0.26) * -3(-1.55) ** 2(0.99) * 28 I think it is important for us to promote the traditional culture of our hometown and the spirit of local celebrities. -1(0.37) ** -2(-0.45) ** -4(-2.06) ** 29 I think policies that promote farmers' income increase are effective. 0(0.58) ** -3(-1.56) ** -2(-0.83) ** 30 I am willing to change some lifestyle habits to make our rural environment better. 2(1.06) ** 0(-0.05) ** -3(-0.96) ** 31 I don't think rural culture can compare to urban culture. -3(-1.87) ** -1(0.11) * 1(0.38) * 32 Rural life is more suitable for me. 0(0.06) ** 2(1.02) ** -4(-2.17) ** 33 I pay more attention to popular culture and entertainment in cities than to local culture in rural areas. -2(-1.31) ** -2(-0.4) 0(-0.36) Data source: Calculated and organized by the authors according to survey data. Note a. Scores indicate statement agreement from − 4 (least agree) to 4 (most agree); b. Z values in parentheses; ** significant at p < 0.01, * significant at p < 0.05. Bold sentences indicate similar attitudes across all farmers types. 4.2 Basic Attributes of Classification Samples According to Table 3 , the first type is characterized by "male," "younger," with a "larger agricultural labor force," "part-time employment," a "medium to upper business scale," and "higher education level." The second type is "relatively young," with "two agricultural laborers," and a "medium cultural level." Meanwhile, the third type is characterized as "older," with "half of the farmers being female," a "smaller business scale," "two agricultural laborers," and "junior high school education." The statistical data on label farmers in Table 4 broadly reflects the realities of urban agricultural operations within the GBA. The population mainly comprises middle-aged, family-style agricultural laborers with junior high school education as the main education level, and they generally operate on a small scale. Table 4 Statistical data on three types of farmers Indicator Ⅰ Ⅱ Ⅲ Number of people/person 10 8 4 Male/% 100.00 62.50 50.00 25–40 years old/% 50.00 50.00 25.00 Average age 45.00 43.63 50.00 Part-time farmers/% 70.00 12.50 0.00 Proportion of farmers operating different hectares/% ≤ 0.67 10.00 0.00 50.00 0.68–1.33 10.00 25.00 0.00 1.34–3.33 30.00 25.00 25.00 3.34–13.33 40.00 25.00 25.00 ≥ 13.34 10.00 25.00 0.00 Proportion of households with different agricultural labor force /% 1 20.00 12.50 0.00 2 30.00 87.50 100.00 3 30.00 0.00 0.00 4 20.00 0.00 0.00 Proportion of different education level of householder /% primary school 10.00 12.50 25.00 junior high school 20.00 50.00 75.00 high school 10.00 25.00 0.00 college 40.00 12.50 0.00 Data source: Calculated and organized by the authors according to survey data. 4.3 Similar statements The numbers corresponding to statements in Table 3 are enclosed in parentheses. With a confidence level exceeding 90%, it can be asserted that the three types of farmers share similar perspectives on the five statements numbered 4, 20, 21, 22, and 24 (Table 3 ). Specifically, a confidence level of over 95% was noted regarding their opinions on the following: the potential for the younger generation to thrive in their hometown (statement 4) and the necessity for the government to allocate technical guidance personnel (statement 21). For statement 4, the overall assessment from all three farmer types of farmers is -1, indicating a lack of clear attitudes and a tendency toward disagreement. This suggests that farmers, in general, do not exhibit a strong bias regarding the life and employment prospects of their next-generation offspring in either urban or rural areas. While farmers may hold biased attitudes about urban-rural differences in their own generation, they appear less concerned about the choices made by the next generation, potentially due to an "unable to intervene" mentality (as some surveyed participants stated). For statement 21, the scores across three types (Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ) of farmers are 2, 1, and 1, respectively, suggesting an ambiguous attitude but some degree of agreement. This implies that farmers may not be particularly responsive to the government's allocation of technical personnel to support rural farming, possibly due to the perceived limited effectiveness of current "promotion stations" and "agricultural science stations." Some farmers noted that these stations often appear to be symbolic rather than functional. For statement 20, comprehensive scores of -2, -2, and − 3, respectively, indicate a relatively clear stance of disagreement among representatives. Farmers generally hold that the government should not intervene excessively in rural living conditions. During the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, assessments in some areas have extended to details like the cleanliness of farmers' clothes drying and toilet facilities in their yards, significantly impacting their daily lives. For statement 22, scores of 2, 1, and 1, respectively, show an unclear but overall positive stance. Farmers may not place high importance on whether the government uniformly plans agricultural land, possibly due to limited government-led planning or the existence of some planning in certain areas. Farmers believe that the management and utilization of agricultural land are influenced primarily by market dynamics, with limited impact from central planning. Some farmers expressed concern over policy uncertainty regarding “agricultural land protection,” which significantly affects leisure agriculture businesses. For statement 24, scores of 0, 2, and 0 indicate a relatively unclear or neutral position. The statement, "I am not familiar with the government's subsidy policies for agriculture," implies that farmers are somewhat indifferent to agricultural subsidy policies. This unfamiliarity should not be strictly interpreted as "knowing" or "not knowing." When asked about specific subsidies, farmers mentioned only general ones for grain cultivation, with little assistance for specific production types. 4.4 Distinguishing Values According to Table 3 , the most significant influence on type classification originates from differences between high-scoring (mainly 3 and 4 points) and low-scoring (mainly − 3 and − 4 points) perspectives, followed closely by substantial score differences across the three types. 4.4.1 Modern Management (MM) Type This type of farmer emphasizes land-related factors such as ownership, scale (statements 6 and 8), and fertilization methods. They recognize the direct relationship between product quality and appropriate organic fertilizer application. Additionally, they are highly aware of how weather conditions influence agricultural results (statement 3). They view urban areas as having more promising prospects (statement 7) but are willing to engage in rural development due to ecological advantages, such as favorable water conditions, conducive to agriculture (statement 19). Moreover, they prioritize the preservation of rural landscapes and environmental protections (statements 11, 14 and 30). Interestingly, they do not support extensive government intervention to improve the rural environment (statement 20). These operators show a heightened interest in rural culture compared to other types (statement 31) and do not see online shopping as a significant improvement in their quality of life (statement 13). They believe that rural areas offer unique advantages over urban areas due to their cultural and environmental attributes. Simultaneously, this type maintains a neutral attitude towards the promotion of rural culture, the policy effect of enhancement farmers' income, and long-term life in the countryside(statements 27, 29, and 32). In business, they adopt a cautious approach to expansion, only pursuing new ventures when market conditions are favorable, taking factors like technology, land management, cost-benefit analysis, and sustainability into account. This conservatism partly explains their stable operating income, which remains unaffected by fluctuating market dynamics. Funding and agricultural labor are not prominent factors in their business decisions (statements 2, 4, and 23). Given these characteristics— age, operational scale, education level, business philosophy, policy attitudes, and preferences for living environments— the MM-type farmers advocate advanced planting and breeding technologies, make calculated business decisions, and favor rural settings without fully integrating into the local culture (statements 27 and 28). 4.4.2 Local Nostalgia (LN) Type The second type predominantly comprises middle-aged individuals with young children. Agricultural income represents their primary, if not sole, income source, classifying them as "indigenous" operators with the highest reliance on agriculture among the three types (statements 17 and 8). Due to their prolonged involvement in agriculture, they are highly sensitive to weather conditions and market price fluctuations (statements 3 and 9) and exhibit a strong dependence on land (statement 8). In contrast to MM farmers, they lack the financial resources to adopt modern agricultural practices (statement 2). While excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides is generally acknowledged as harmful (statement 25), LN farmers are less aware of the advantages of organic fertilizers (statement 6). In modern agriculture, they do not fully embrace "job application" (statement 5) since they already manage agriculture independently, drawing from their long experience. These farmers consider the government’s income policies largely ineffective (statement 29), and online shopping has not significantly improved their quality of life (statement 13). They hold a neutral view on rural environment improvement through lifestyle changes (statement 30) and prioritize production management over living conditions. A representative from this group voiced concerns, saying: "The government's compulsory initiatives for rural revitalization and landscape enhancement are overly assertive, leading to inappropriate demolition actions without adequate consideration of farmers' actual circumstances." This type of farmers are relatively young, usually two couples operate together, with a medium academic qualifications. The characteristics of agricultural production, risk management, and llifestyle preferences play pivotal roles in the definition of this type. They invest significant effort in production management, but their activities are markedly influenced by uncontrollable variables such as market conditions and weather patterns. Strongly rooted in local culture and dependent on land, they prioritize rural life and develop practices based on experience. Consequently, this second group is identified as the "Local Nostalgia Type" (LN). 4.4.3 Negative Livelihood (NL) Type The third type includes small and medium-sized farming households, with some families having relocated to lease land for farming. These households agree on the necessity of conserving agricultural land (statement 4). These farmers do believe weather-related factors significantly impact them (statement 3). Although highly dependent on agricultural income, these farmers display a pessimistic outlook on the future of agriculture, prioritizing industrial development over agriculture (statement 17). Farming appears more of a necessity than a choice for them. One farmer remarked, "Agriculture often provides opportunities for those without skills," while others, familiar with certain crop types, rely on their extensive experience: "For 37 years, I have been planting sugarcane in Qingyuan (another city, not belonging to the GBA), a practice I inherited from my parents who also grew sugarcane." Compared to rural life, these farmers have greater aspirations for urban living (statement 32). While online shopping has improved their quality of life (statement 13), they do not place significant importance on traditional culture preservation (statement 28) and oppose homestead expropriation (statements 14 and 15), but not as staunchly as LN farmers. They believe that the government should not excessively intervene to enhance rural living conditions (statement 20) and are also hesitant about altering lifestyle habits for rural environmental improvements (statement 30). For children’s education and opportunities, they view rural education as inferior to urban (statement 10). With their reliance on urban markets for product sales, they find transportation between rural to urban areas more convenient (statement 12). This type supports government initiatives that encourage young people to return to rural areas to start businesses (statement 23) and generally favors job opportunities in modern agriculture (statement 5). In contrast to MM and LN types, NL farmers exhibit a clear stance focused on improving their living conditions and ensuring better educational and employment opportunities for their children. They demonstrate a generally pessimistic view of agricultural development. Labor shortages and reliance on traditional business methods may contribute to their negative outlook on farming, and they are more inclined toward the potential advantages offered by urban development. Due to factors such as advanced age, limited education, and decreasing capacity for labor and learning, NL farmers are less likely to engage in modern agricultural practices. This third group is classified as the "Negative Livelihood Type" (NL). 5 Discussion The classification of farmers into three types provides insight into their perspectives on policy measures within the ongoing rural revitalization efforts, highlighting the diverse reasons behind their statements. This understanding is essential for the government to refine and tailor policy measures in future stages, enabling targeted initiatives that help fulfill the aspiration of a "good life" for farmers. As indicated in Table 3 , aggregating the scores of each farmer type for various statements reveals that the absolute scores of statements 3, 8, and 14 hold the top three positions, with scores of 9, 11, and − 9, respectively. It means that the attitudes of the three types towards these three declarative statements are very distinct. Statement 8, which emphasizes the importance of agriculture and the need for careful land management to support agricultural development, is particularly well-regarded, with scores of 4, 3, and 4 across the three types. Although the second industry and tertiary industry are more advanced than agriculture in the GBA, most agricultural operators recognize agriculture’s irreplaceable role in regional development, a finding consistent with previous research (Luo Yiwen et al., 2023). This statement strongly resonates with the LN type, who possess a long-standing history in agriculture and local ties, having witnessed a significant reduction in arable land over time. A farmer shared, “Back then, the finest and most fertile farmland was acquired for real estate development, but now such (prime) land is scarce." Despite differing backgrounds and business ideologies, all farmer types share a strong awareness of the negative consequences of reduced arable land. In the present and foreseeable future, arable land remains the principal limiting factor for agricultural progress. Farmers also recognize the significant impact of climate on agricultural operations, ranking this factor just below land in importance. This statement is scored at 3, 4, and 2 by the three types. LN farmers, in particular, feel the impact of weather fluctuations on their income. Farmers with financial means to invest in facility agriculture (categorized as MM type) also express vulnerability to unfavorable weather conditions. For example, a banana seedling farmer experienced substantial flooding from an upstream reservoir during a prolonged rainstorm in 2019. Similarly, in early 2021, a farmer growing pitaya and longan suffered a 75% crop loss due to a severe cold wave. A vineyard owner lost 20 million yuan from a flood in May 2022, only a month before grape ripening. In another incident, a spring frost in 2021 destroyed around 1,000 saplings at a lotus mist cultivation site. Small-scale vegetable growers unanimously agreed, stating, "the weather will definitely have a significant impact, and once the weather turns bad, there is no way (to stop the losses)." As individual farming operations grow in scale and technology advances, developing strategies to mitigate the effects of weather-related disasters remains an important challenge for agricultural management, as adverse weather conditions can sharply reduce motivation among agricultural producers. statement 14, which asserts, "I am willing to relinquish my family property in favor of a new urban residence," received the strongest disagreement, with ratings of -3, -4, and − 2 across the three types. LN farmers showed the most resistance to this idea, followed closely by MM farmers. Although NL farmers demonstrate a slight preference for urban living, they still oppose the compulsory acquisition of their rural properties. These scores underscore the importance of rural housing and land as fixed assets for farmers engaged in rural development. For many, losing land means more than the loss of productive resources essential for their livelihood; it could also mean a prolonged separation from their land, risking a loss of their deep-rooted spiritual connection to it (Li et al., 2023). Wang Xia et al. (2022) examined factors influencing the deviation in farmers’ willingness to participate in the "grain to feed" reform. Their findings indicate that the deviation in behavior correlates negatively with farmers' perception of economic value and social benefits; optimizing policy subsidies and strengthening technical guidance can reduce this deviation significantly. Enhanced agricultural infrastructure supports policy effectiveness, while participation in agricultural organizations weakens behavioral deviation. Additionally, factors such as gender and age significantly impact farmers’ willingness to act, with those earning higher non-agricultural incomes finding it more challenging to align their willingness with behavior. Gong Xin et al. (2024) also explored the relationship between farmland rotation policies and farmers' awareness and willingness to respond. This study aligns with and extends these findings, suggesting that the success of policies depends on how well specific guidance aligns with farmers' production characteristics and business preferences. Recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of farmers should receive greater focus in policy formulation, improvement, and effectiveness to reduce administrative costs and increase effectiveness. Each farmer type represents both their aspiration for a "good life" and fundamental practical differences among them. MM farmers, characterized by effective management and financial resources, are well-positioned to adopt advanced agricultural technologies and experiment with modern practices. LN farmers, by contrast, have a strong attachment to their local environment, relying on their extensive experience and proficiency in cultivation and breeding methods. In contrast, NL farmers often adopt a passive approach to farming and are more inclined toward urban development opportunities due to limited financial resources, weakened acceptance of new technologies, significant family responsibilities, and a low tolerance for risk. For MM farmers, the "good life" can be achieved by capitalizing on their modern management advantages and preserving a rural retreat. For LN farmers, their "good life" is deeply connected to the green landscapes and pristine waters of their hometown, which they have cultivated diligently over generations For NL farmers, achieving "a good life" requires stable income, adoption of efficient agricultural machinery and infrastructure, improved transportation, and enhanced education during the urbanization process. They focus on improving the living standards of the next generation. He Xiaolong (2024) highlighted issues in rural public cultural supply, where administrative support has fallen short. The "autonomous cultural society" model in rural areas, driven by the self-organization of rural literature and arts, village committees, village groups, councils, and families, creates opportunities for community-driven cultural activities. This cultural life resembles the self-sustained cultural supply in rural areas, offering a rich, low-cost, and accessible "high welfare" governance model. Beyond the "hard support" of public welfare and market mechanisms, locality, innovation, integration, autonomy, and organization, this model is supported by the "soft guarantee" of healthy rural social interactions. 6 Conclusions and Policy Implications This study identified three farmer classifications: Modern Management (MM), Local Nostalgia (LN), and Negative Livelihood (NL). Each had distinct attitudes toward five aspects of rural revitalization in a GBA city. Shared priorities among these groups include preserving farmland, maintaining favorable weather conditions, and securing family homesteads. Therefore, initiatives such as protecting farmland, enhancing soil fertility, expanding agricultural insurance coverage, developing high-quality farmland, supporting facility-based agriculture, and clarifying homestead ownership rights are widely supported. For MM farmers, who show a proactive interest in rural industry development, government policies that create a conducive business environment for rural industry development are particularly valuable. This group tends to apply modern business concepts and financial resources effectively, especially with government backing. Given their proactive approach to operations, policies should focus on necessary supervision while minimizing intervention in their production and management processes to encourage their enthusiasm and initiative. LN farmers require a stable business environment and reliable sales channels. With their expertise in agricultural planting and breeding, they can efficiently produce high-quality agricultural products. Since they are most recognized for their local characteristics, policies should prioritize conservation over radical changes, such as rural style transformations and customs modifications, to minimize resistance. NL farmers demonstrate a greater need for improved rural infrastructure and enriched cultural life. They seek services that match urban standards, particularly in transportation, education, and logistics. This group also requires additional support and subsidies for livestock breeding and legal matters compared to the other farmer types. Considering that this type is relatively less enthusiastic about agricultural development, policies that are inclusive rather than competitive can achieve substantial positive results for this group. Declarations Consent to Participate Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study during April 6 and May 22, 2023. Participants were explicitly informed of their right to withdraw consent at any stage without penalty. Ethical Approval Statement This study involving human participants was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Ethical approval was obtained on March 5, 2021 from the Academic Committee at Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Approval No. 202030) prior to data collection. Funding This work was supported by provincial agricultural research foundation grants [GD21YGL11] [2023A1515011018] [Yue Cai Nong [2024] No. 28], and provincial research institute academic fund grants [202030][202310]. Funders played no role in the research process. Data Availability Statement The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request. References Abhijit VB, Esther Duflo (2013) Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. China Citic, pp 62–63 Addams H, Proops J, Van Eeten M, Dayton BW, Focht W, Lawler JJ, Steelman TA, Fairweather JR, Swaffield S, Capdevila R (2000) Social Discourse and Environmental Policy: An Application of Q Methodology. first ed. Edward Elgar Publisher Inc, Policy, Northampton. Massachusetts 17 Anna Z, Yusuf AA, Alisjahbana AS, Ghina AA, Rahma (2019) Are fishermen happier? Evidence from a large-scale subjective well-being survey in a lower-middle-income country. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6835481","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":509945683,"identity":"e2812f6a-2476-4800-bf53-10cb2f3e9d92","order_by":0,"name":"Yunfei Hu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yunfei","middleName":"","lastName":"Hu","suffix":""},{"id":509945684,"identity":"d2ea9a25-4916-4878-8e81-33f6bdd5a0bc","order_by":1,"name":"Baizhan Lei","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACefbGxgcfKiTk+BkOHyBOi2HP4cOGM87YGEs2Hksg0pobaWnSvG1piRsOnzEgTgfjjBxjwxlsh40Njp35eOMNg52cbgMBLew8bwwffOA5LCd55uxmyzkMycZmBwjZ0g6yReKwMd+Ns9ukeRgOJG4jpIXhQI6ZNI/B4cSG+2+eEanlBND7PAlpiRMOnGEjTgskkA8AA7nhmLHlHAMi/AKOyo//wFH58MabCjs5glpQgAQPkVGDrIVUHaNgFIyCUTAiAADH50zvxbd0LQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Baizhan","middleName":"","lastName":"Lei","suffix":""},{"id":509945685,"identity":"5a8ecc7b-cd10-46e5-b4aa-7b550b7e6aed","order_by":2,"name":"Yan Xiang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"School of Culture and Tourism, Guizhou University of Commerce","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yan","middleName":"","lastName":"Xiang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-06 09:08:23","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835481/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835481/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":90696175,"identity":"bc0e720d-587d-44f2-ab50-591a99782225","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-05 20:22:15","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":30823,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eQ Method Operational Steps\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6835481/v1/217367b1dff53cd32cab9f48.png"},{"id":92549196,"identity":"d88d9c74-06cd-4e48-8126-fdd83cc86cdc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-30 22:46:40","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":934701,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6835481/v1/cb41f303-af47-4831-9828-166d5266fe07.pdf"},{"id":90696172,"identity":"2da2c98d-f37a-4270-ad35-2844881d0585","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-05 20:22:15","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":32004,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryFile1.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6835481/v1/ed43a6a316d6462a740037e9.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Coupling Farmers' Quality of Life with Rural Revitalization Policy in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eFor millennia, the pursuit of a \u0026ldquo;good life\u0026rdquo; has been a central human endeavor. In the context of China\u0026rsquo;s modern development, understanding rural agricultural producers\u0026rsquo; views on quality of life is essential to effectively implement a national rural revitalization strategy. However, the motivations and preferences of farmers remain understudied: What aspects of life concern them most? How do they perceive the current policies? And are they adequately supported to adapt to these changes? The Chinese government emphasizes fostering a sense of security, happiness, and shared prosperity, as highlighted in the 2021 national address by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The \u003cem\u003eStrategic Plan for Rural Revitalization\u003c/em\u003e (2018\u0026ndash;2022) targets comprehensive rural revitalization by 2050, driving the ongoing development of agriculture and rural areas based on \"prosperous industries, livable ecology, civilized rural customs, effective governance, and a prosperous life\" (China Government Network, 2018). Zhang (2024) pointed out that farmers' happiness is the key to measuring the quality of rural development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA nuanced understanding of rural households\u0026rsquo; characteristics and their influence on revitalization strategies is necessary to improve the relevance and precision of these policies. To address this, a qualitative study using Q methodology was conducted among farmers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), allowing an exploration of their diverse perspectives and expectations for a fulfilling life.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. A Review of the Connotation of “Good Life”","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1 Farmers\u0026rsquo; \u0026ldquo;Good Life\u0026rdquo; in Urban Agglomerations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs urbanization accelerates, cities face heightened environmental pressures, with natural disasters and human interference increasingly impacting rural areas (Wang Huihui et al., 2024). Developing urban agriculture has emerged as a strategic priority in several major Chinese cities (Ma Jia et al., 2014). Yet, the focus on industrialization and urbanization has disrupted the rural production landscape, endangering food security (Dala-Paula, 2018). Research on urban agriculture in urban agglomerations has highlighted the integration of urban and agricultural areas through technological and cultural exchange (Pradhan et al., 2024; Mulya, 2024; Liu et al., 2020). In particular, studies have addressed energy resource use, environmental sustainability, and consumption practices (Zhang et al., 2023; Vicente et al., 2021; Li and Fu et al., 2020). Yang Ren et al. (2023) pointed out in their study that, migrant agriculture emphasizes the economic function, and the transformation process of its material space is reflected in the non-grainization and concentration of cultivated land and the differentiation of community living space, which in turn brings about group exclusion and spatial isolation in social space.It suggested that the inflow of agricultural labor may promote cultural identity in urban agglomerations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScholars like Zhang (2018) have argued that \"a good life\" for rural communities involves not only material well-being but also cultural richness, social respect, political integrity, and aesthetic environmental balance, aligned with the goals of rural revitalization. Li Hongyan(2019) further suggests that farmers' aspirations are shaped by individual traits and broader societal transitions impacting rural life, closely linked to migration patterns. In early research, economist John Kenneth Galbraith (1958/2009) introduced the concept of \"quality of life\" in \u003cem\u003eThe Affluent Society\u003c/em\u003e. More recent studies within the field of positive psychology (Veenhoven et al., 2019) suggest that happiness and well-being can generate positive feedback loops, further enriching material and social environments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey determinants of well-being among farmers include physical health (Li et al., 2015), health security (Zheng, 2017), living conditions (Ye Minshen, 2019), employment status (Anna, 2019), resilience to adversity (Rahman et al., 2023), and demographic factors such as gender, age, education (Asadullah, 2018), income distribution equality (Huang, 2019), and livelihood stability (Kleemann, 2015; Wang, 2019). Xu Hong (2022) observed that the collective societal perception and individual farmers' views do not always align. Empirical findings in Zhejiang Province suggest that living environment and industrial economic stability are the most valued aspects of rural life, indicating that the unique characteristics of rural households are heavily influenced by regional context (Zhang et al., 2022; Hu Yunfei, 2018).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2 Recognizing Inherent Differences Among Farmers\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile studies by Wang Shali et al. (2021) have examined factors influencing farmers\u0026rsquo; quality of life, they often treat farmers as mediators of development rather than subjects of research. Zheng Xin et al. (2024) proposed that infrastructure improvements and stronger organizational management reduce farmland abandonment among high attachment level farmers, but did not investigate the behavior of other farmer types. This highlights a gap in research on how diverse household characteristics affect engagement with rural policies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheoretical exploration of rural development has largely focused on systems and behaviors rather than understanding farmers as individuals (Li, 2009; Chen et al., 2023). According to research by the National Mental Health Assessment and Development Center of the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, happiness stems from need fulfillment, which is both contextual and relative (Veenhoven, 1984, 1991).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.3 Classifying Farmers by Personality Traits\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding farmers\u0026rsquo; motivations and behavioral patterns can enhance policy efficiency. Banerjee and Duflo (2013) emphasize the need for strategies that accommodate changing individual beliefs, while Sun (2023) argues that labor allocation in agriculture benefits from social support networks. Similarly, Wang Nana's research (2023) illustrates the diversity in technology adoption among rice farmers, suggesting that effective policy must consider farmers\u0026rsquo; varying levels of openness to innovation. Li Fan(2023) emphasizes the need to shift from a technological approach to a more life-oriented one, fostering a sense of public spirit through a flexible governance strategy aligned with evolving societal dynamics.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the GBA, the focus has shifted away from alleviating poverty to promoting high-quality development (Luo et al., 2023). Researchers are examining sustainable solutions in urban-rural synergy through industry, infrastructure (Wang Changjian et al., 2024), and ecological balance (Yang Meng, 2024; Zhang, 2023). The perspectives and ambitions of farmers represent a critical, ongoing driver of rural development, but theoretical insights on the intrinsic dynamics within rural households remain limited. Understanding these individual dynamics is essential to create sustainable and secure well-being and rural progress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3 Research Methods and Data Sources","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Methodology\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study uses Q methodology, a research method that explores subjective perceptions by having participants rank statements in a normal distribution, capturing subtle insights from participants\u0026rsquo; attitudes and inner desires. While previous studies have focused on the impact of objective conditions on happiness, this study emphasizes subjective perceptions by examining participants\u0026rsquo; attitudes, expressions, and responses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ methodology is unique in prioritizing respondents' data as columns, focusing on participants\u0026rsquo; worldviews rather than researcher-designed variables (Brodt et al., 2006). This method captures recurring patterns within groups when addressing certain issues (Brown, 1980). Subjective statements are conveyed through participants\u0026rsquo; ranking of statements, which are then categorized in a similar manner to behavioral data analysis (Addams et al., 2000).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Q method is advantageous due to its reliance on focus group perspectives, small sample size requirements, and the importance placed on individual data points in the analysis. Generally, only 20\u0026ndash;50 participants and 30\u0026ndash;50 statements are needed, as argued by Hermans et al. (2012), who suggested that smaller samples yield meaningful research results. Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e provides a visual overview of the Q methodology process, which was analyzed using the \"PQMethod2.35\" software.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Questionnaire Design\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom April to May 2023, a total of 34 valid Q questionnaires were collected from a city in the GBA through in-person interviews. The questionnaire, designed for Q sorting, included 33 statements across five core aspects aligned with the rural revitalization strategy: \"Industrial Prosperity, Ecological Livability, Rural Civilization, Effective Governance, and Affluent Life.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 21 themes covered were as follows, with the number of associated statements in parentheses: Planting and Breeding Technology (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Fund Demand (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Weather Impact (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Career Aspirations for the Next Generation (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Production Method Shifts (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Lifestyle Changes (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Rural Industry Selection (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e), Green Production (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Market Influences (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Agricultural Development Expectations (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Urban vs Rural Life Comparison (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e), Homestead Management (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Online Shopping Habits (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Rural Aesthetics (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Ecological Environment (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e), Policy Requirements (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e), Policy Accessibility (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Policy Impact (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e), Rural Cultural Identity (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), Government's Role in Cultural Life (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), and Urban-Rural Cultural Preferences (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter pilot testing with farmers, the statements were optimized for clarity and printed on cards measuring 5 by 4 cm. Participants rated each card from \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4 (strongly disagree) to +\u0026thinsp;4 (strongly agree), with 0 indicating neutrality or uncertainty. Using Q sorting, principal component analysis, and varimax rotation, a weighted matrix was derived to represent the diverse attitudes among farmers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003emethod research allows for the exploration of multiple issues (or statements) with a relatively small respondent sample size. In constructing a theoretical set of Q statements, the design principle is guided by the research purpose, which targets the \"P-set\" (the target group set). In Q methodology, \"P-set\" denotes the theoretical relevance of issues of certain to a particular group within the study; it can thus be regarded as more theoretically structured and dimensionally relevant, rather than randomly selected (Brown, 1980). Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e illustrates the P-set structure used in this study, where 50 combinations demonstrate a robust framework for sample selection.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-set Structure for Characterizing the Farmers in GBA\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMain Effects*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLevels\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA. Interests\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a) industry (b) ecology\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(c) life (d) organization (e) culture\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eB. Sex\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(f) male (g) female\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC. Region (county)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(h) municipal district 1 (i) municipal district 2\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(j) county 1 (k) county 2 (l) county 3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e*ABC = (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;50 combinations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4 Empirical Results and Analysis","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1 Results\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo simplify the initial 34 Q classification samples, four selection criteria were applied: (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e) Inclusion of representative feature samples; (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) Minimum of two samples per type; (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e) Preference for samples with higher loading values when samples from the same county (district) belong to the same type; and (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e) Supplementation with unlabelled but significant cases, prioritizing female farmer respondents where feasible (The distribution of 34 samples and the selection of 23 samples see the Supplementary File 1).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on geographical distribution and research sequence, the first round calculation was conducted using 17 samples from the southern region of the city and 17 samples from the northern region of the city. Following the four screening criteria, 23 representative samples were chosen for the first round of classification results, and the second classification round was then conducted. Out of the 23 samples, 22 were labeled as feature types. Detailed characteristics of each type are found in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, with type I showing the highest overall reliability. Classification scores for each statement are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFactor characteristic\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eType\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅠ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅡ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅢ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber of labeled samples\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eComposite reliability\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.976\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.970\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.941\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZ value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.156\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.174\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.243\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatements and corresponding scores for three farmer types\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNO.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatements\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅠ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅡ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅢ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are very few people who truly understand agricultural technology and grow (raise) well.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2 \u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e(0.61)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(1.07)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-1.11)\u003csup\u003e** b\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI feel that I lack the funds needed to develop modern agriculture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.58)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.93)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.39)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgriculture is most affected by weather, resulting in unstable income.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.93)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4(2.03)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.68)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI hope my children can have good development in their hometown without having to work in the city.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.44)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.22)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(0.13)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am willing to participate in modern agriculture through job application.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.62)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.97)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.86)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the products grown with organic fertilizers are better than those grown with chemical fertilizers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4(1.65)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.35)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.27)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI believe that urban development prospects are better than rural areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(1.15)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(-0.06)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.02)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgriculture is very important, and land should be well preserved to develop agriculture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4(1.54)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.78)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4(1.76)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgriculture is greatly influenced by the market, leading to income instability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-4(-1.92)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4(2.01)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(0.02)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think urban education is better than rural education\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.28)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(-0.07)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(1.8)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the countryside should preserve its scenery.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.98)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.79)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.6)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the transportation from the village to the city is very convenient.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.26)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.24)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.85)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think online shopping has improved my life.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-4(-1.67)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.08)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.44)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am willing to expropriate my homestead and exchange it for a house in the city.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.07)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-4(-1.75)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.67)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am willing to expropriate farmland for other construction purposes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(1.14)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-4(-2.27)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.56)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the lifestyle in the city can affect one's physical health.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-1.43)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.32)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(0.14)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI prefer our village to develop industry rather than agriculture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.7)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.68)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4(1.8)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am worried about the air pollution in our village.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.51)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(-0.27)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(-0.24)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am worried about the water pollution in our village.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.4)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(0)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.54)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the government needs to improve living conditions for rural areas the most.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.73)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.58)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.17)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the government most needs to arrange professional and technical personnel for planting and breeding guidance in rural areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.59)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.41)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(-0.14)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the government needs to plan agricultural land for rural areas in a unified manner.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.78)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.03)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.35)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the government needs to support young people returning home to start businesses the most.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.12)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(-0.16)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(1.14)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI don't know what subsidy policies the government has for agriculture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.17)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.7)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.03)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNowadays, relying solely on fertilizers and pesticides has led to a decline in the quality of agricultural products.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.07)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3(0.85)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.77)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the government needs to improve the ecological environment for rural areas the most.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.46)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.49)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.12)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the government's promotion of local rural culture has an impact on me.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.26)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.55)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(0.99)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think it is important for us to promote the traditional culture of our hometown and the spirit of local celebrities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(0.37)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.45)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-4(-2.06)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think policies that promote farmers' income increase are effective.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.58)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.56)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.83)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am willing to change some lifestyle habits to make our rural environment better.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(1.06)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(-0.05)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-0.96)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI don't think rural culture can compare to urban culture.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-3(-1.87)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-1(0.11)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1(0.38)\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRural life is more suitable for me.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(0.06)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2(1.02)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-4(-2.17)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI pay more attention to popular culture and entertainment in cities than to local culture in rural areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-1.31)\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2(-0.4)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0(-0.36)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eData source: Calculated and organized by the authors according to survey data.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003ea. Scores indicate statement agreement from \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4 (least agree) to 4 (most agree); b. Z values in parentheses; ** significant at \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01, * significant at \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. Bold sentences indicate similar attitudes across all farmers types.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Basic Attributes of Classification Samples\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, the first type is characterized by \"male,\" \"younger,\" with a \"larger agricultural labor force,\" \"part-time employment,\" a \"medium to upper business scale,\" and \"higher education level.\" The second type is \"relatively young,\" with \"two agricultural laborers,\" and a \"medium cultural level.\" Meanwhile, the third type is characterized as \"older,\" with \"half of the farmers being female,\" a \"smaller business scale,\" \"two agricultural laborers,\" and \"junior high school education.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe statistical data on label farmers in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e broadly reflects the realities of urban agricultural operations within the GBA. The population mainly comprises middle-aged, family-style agricultural laborers with junior high school education as the main education level, and they generally operate on a small scale.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatistical data on three types of farmers\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndicator\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅠ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅡ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eⅢ\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNumber of people/person\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale/%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e62.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u0026ndash;40 years old/%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAverage age\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.63\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart-time farmers/%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProportion of farmers operating different hectares/%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.67\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.68\u0026ndash;1.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.34\u0026ndash;3.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.34\u0026ndash;13.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;13.34\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProportion of households with different agricultural labor force /%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e87.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProportion of different education level of householder /%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eprimary school\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ejunior high school\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ehigh school\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ecollege\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eData source: Calculated and organized by the authors according to survey data.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Similar statements\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe numbers corresponding to statements in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e are enclosed in parentheses. With a confidence level exceeding 90%, it can be asserted that the three types of farmers share similar perspectives on the five statements numbered 4, 20, 21, 22, and 24 (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Specifically, a confidence level of over 95% was noted regarding their opinions on the following: the potential for the younger generation to thrive in their hometown (statement 4) and the necessity for the government to allocate technical guidance personnel (statement 21).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor statement 4, the overall assessment from all three farmer types of farmers is -1, indicating a lack of clear attitudes and a tendency toward disagreement. This suggests that farmers, in general, do not exhibit a strong bias regarding the life and employment prospects of their next-generation offspring in either urban or rural areas. While farmers may hold biased attitudes about urban-rural differences in their own generation, they appear less concerned about the choices made by the next generation, potentially due to an \"unable to intervene\" mentality (as some surveyed participants stated).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor statement 21, the scores across three types (Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ) of farmers are 2, 1, and 1, respectively, suggesting an ambiguous attitude but some degree of agreement. This implies that farmers may not be particularly responsive to the government's allocation of technical personnel to support rural farming, possibly due to the perceived limited effectiveness of current \"promotion stations\" and \"agricultural science stations.\" Some farmers noted that these stations often appear to be symbolic rather than functional.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor statement 20, comprehensive scores of -2, -2, and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3, respectively, indicate a relatively clear stance of disagreement among representatives. Farmers generally hold that the government should not intervene excessively in rural living conditions. During the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, assessments in some areas have extended to details like the cleanliness of farmers' clothes drying and toilet facilities in their yards, significantly impacting their daily lives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor statement 22, scores of 2, 1, and 1, respectively, show an unclear but overall positive stance. Farmers may not place high importance on whether the government uniformly plans agricultural land, possibly due to limited government-led planning or the existence of some planning in certain areas. Farmers believe that the management and utilization of agricultural land are influenced primarily by market dynamics, with limited impact from central planning. Some farmers expressed concern over policy uncertainty regarding \u0026ldquo;agricultural land protection,\u0026rdquo; which significantly affects leisure agriculture businesses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor statement 24, scores of 0, 2, and 0 indicate a relatively unclear or neutral position. The statement, \"I am not familiar with the government's subsidy policies for agriculture,\" implies that farmers are somewhat indifferent to agricultural subsidy policies. This unfamiliarity should not be strictly interpreted as \"knowing\" or \"not knowing.\" When asked about specific subsidies, farmers mentioned only general ones for grain cultivation, with little assistance for specific production types.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4 Distinguishing Values\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, the most significant influence on type classification originates from differences between high-scoring (mainly 3 and 4 points) and low-scoring (mainly \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;3 and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4 points) perspectives, followed closely by substantial score differences across the three types.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4.1 Modern Management (MM) Type\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis type of farmer emphasizes land-related factors such as ownership, scale (statements 6 and 8), and fertilization methods. They recognize the direct relationship between product quality and appropriate organic fertilizer application. Additionally, they are highly aware of how weather conditions influence agricultural results (statement 3). They view urban areas as having more promising prospects (statement 7) but are willing to engage in rural development due to ecological advantages, such as favorable water conditions, conducive to agriculture (statement 19). Moreover, they prioritize the preservation of rural landscapes and environmental protections (statements 11, 14 and 30). Interestingly, they do not support extensive government intervention to improve the rural environment (statement 20).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese operators show a heightened interest in rural culture compared to other types (statement 31) and do not see online shopping as a significant improvement in their quality of life (statement 13). They believe that rural areas offer unique advantages over urban areas due to their cultural and environmental attributes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimultaneously, this type maintains a neutral attitude towards the promotion of rural culture, the policy effect of enhancement farmers' income, and long-term life in the countryside(statements 27, 29, and 32).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn business, they adopt a cautious approach to expansion, only pursuing new ventures when market conditions are favorable, taking factors like technology, land management, cost-benefit analysis, and sustainability into account. This conservatism partly explains their stable operating income, which remains unaffected by fluctuating market dynamics. Funding and agricultural labor are not prominent factors in their business decisions (statements 2, 4, and 23).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiven these characteristics\u0026mdash; age, operational scale, education level, business philosophy, policy attitudes, and preferences for living environments\u0026mdash; the MM-type farmers advocate advanced planting and breeding technologies, make calculated business decisions, and favor rural settings without fully integrating into the local culture (statements 27 and 28).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4.2 Local Nostalgia (LN) Type\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe second type predominantly comprises middle-aged individuals with young children. Agricultural income represents their primary, if not sole, income source, classifying them as \"indigenous\" operators with the highest reliance on agriculture among the three types (statements 17 and 8). Due to their prolonged involvement in agriculture, they are highly sensitive to weather conditions and market price fluctuations (statements 3 and 9) and exhibit a strong dependence on land (statement 8). In contrast to MM farmers, they lack the financial resources to adopt modern agricultural practices (statement 2). While excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides is generally acknowledged as harmful (statement 25), LN farmers are less aware of the advantages of organic fertilizers (statement 6).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn modern agriculture, they do not fully embrace \"job application\" (statement 5) since they already manage agriculture independently, drawing from their long experience. These farmers consider the government\u0026rsquo;s income policies largely ineffective (statement 29), and online shopping has not significantly improved their quality of life (statement 13). They hold a neutral view on rural environment improvement through lifestyle changes (statement 30) and prioritize production management over living conditions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA representative from this group voiced concerns, saying:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The government's compulsory initiatives for rural revitalization and landscape enhancement are overly assertive, leading to inappropriate demolition actions without adequate consideration of farmers' actual circumstances.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis type of farmers are relatively young, usually two couples operate together, with a medium academic qualifications. The characteristics of agricultural production, risk management, and llifestyle preferences play pivotal roles in the definition of this type. They invest significant effort in production management, but their activities are markedly influenced by uncontrollable variables such as market conditions and weather patterns. Strongly rooted in local culture and dependent on land, they prioritize rural life and develop practices based on experience. Consequently, this second group is identified as the \"Local Nostalgia Type\" (LN).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4.3 Negative Livelihood (NL) Type\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe third type includes small and medium-sized farming households, with some families having relocated to lease land for farming. These households agree on the necessity of conserving agricultural land (statement 4). These farmers do believe weather-related factors significantly impact them (statement 3). Although highly dependent on agricultural income, these farmers display a pessimistic outlook on the future of agriculture, prioritizing industrial development over agriculture (statement 17). Farming appears more of a necessity than a choice for them.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne farmer remarked,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Agriculture often provides opportunities for those without skills,\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewhile others, familiar with certain crop types, rely on their extensive experience:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"For 37 years, I have been planting sugarcane in Qingyuan (another city, not belonging to the GBA), a practice I inherited from my parents who also grew sugarcane.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompared to rural life, these farmers have greater aspirations for urban living (statement 32). While online shopping has improved their quality of life (statement 13), they do not place significant importance on traditional culture preservation (statement 28) and oppose homestead expropriation (statements 14 and 15), but not as staunchly as LN farmers. They believe that the government should not excessively intervene to enhance rural living conditions (statement 20) and are also hesitant about altering lifestyle habits for rural environmental improvements (statement 30).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor children\u0026rsquo;s education and opportunities, they view rural education as inferior to urban (statement 10). With their reliance on urban markets for product sales, they find transportation between rural to urban areas more convenient (statement 12). This type supports government initiatives that encourage young people to return to rural areas to start businesses (statement 23) and generally favors job opportunities in modern agriculture (statement 5).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn contrast to MM and LN types, NL farmers exhibit a clear stance focused on improving their living conditions and ensuring better educational and employment opportunities for their children. They demonstrate a generally pessimistic view of agricultural development. Labor shortages and reliance on traditional business methods may contribute to their negative outlook on farming, and they are more inclined toward the potential advantages offered by urban development. Due to factors such as advanced age, limited education, and decreasing capacity for labor and learning, NL farmers are less likely to engage in modern agricultural practices. This third group is classified as the \"Negative Livelihood Type\" (NL).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5 Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe classification of farmers into three types provides insight into their perspectives on policy measures within the ongoing rural revitalization efforts, highlighting the diverse reasons behind their statements. This understanding is essential for the government to refine and tailor policy measures in future stages, enabling targeted initiatives that help fulfill the aspiration of a \"good life\" for farmers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs indicated in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, aggregating the scores of each farmer type for various statements reveals that the absolute scores of statements 3, 8, and 14 hold the top three positions, with scores of 9, 11, and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;9, respectively. It means that the attitudes of the three types towards these three declarative statements are very distinct. Statement 8, which emphasizes the importance of agriculture and the need for careful land management to support agricultural development, is particularly well-regarded, with scores of 4, 3, and 4 across the three types. Although the second industry and tertiary industry are more advanced than agriculture in the GBA, most agricultural operators recognize agriculture\u0026rsquo;s irreplaceable role in regional development, a finding consistent with previous research (Luo Yiwen et al., 2023). This statement strongly resonates with the LN type, who possess a long-standing history in agriculture and local ties, having witnessed a significant reduction in arable land over time. A farmer shared, \u0026ldquo;Back then, the finest and most fertile farmland was acquired for real estate development, but now such (prime) land is scarce.\" Despite differing backgrounds and business ideologies, all farmer types share a strong awareness of the negative consequences of reduced arable land. In the present and foreseeable future, arable land remains the principal limiting factor for agricultural progress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFarmers also recognize the significant impact of climate on agricultural operations, ranking this factor just below land in importance. This statement is scored at 3, 4, and 2 by the three types. LN farmers, in particular, feel the impact of weather fluctuations on their income. Farmers with financial means to invest in facility agriculture (categorized as MM type) also express vulnerability to unfavorable weather conditions. For example, a banana seedling farmer experienced substantial flooding from an upstream reservoir during a prolonged rainstorm in 2019. Similarly, in early 2021, a farmer growing pitaya and longan suffered a 75% crop loss due to a severe cold wave. A vineyard owner lost 20\u0026nbsp;million yuan from a flood in May 2022, only a month before grape ripening. In another incident, a spring frost in 2021 destroyed around 1,000 saplings at a lotus mist cultivation site. Small-scale vegetable growers unanimously agreed, stating, \"the weather will definitely have a significant impact, and once the weather turns bad, there is no way (to stop the losses).\" As individual farming operations grow in scale and technology advances, developing strategies to mitigate the effects of weather-related disasters remains an important challenge for agricultural management, as adverse weather conditions can sharply reduce motivation among agricultural producers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003estatement 14, which asserts, \"I am willing to relinquish my family property in favor of a new urban residence,\" received the strongest disagreement, with ratings of -3, -4, and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2 across the three types. LN farmers showed the most resistance to this idea, followed closely by MM farmers. Although NL farmers demonstrate a slight preference for urban living, they still oppose the compulsory acquisition of their rural properties. These scores underscore the importance of rural housing and land as fixed assets for farmers engaged in rural development. For many, losing land means more than the loss of productive resources essential for their livelihood; it could also mean a prolonged separation from their land, risking a loss of their deep-rooted spiritual connection to it (Li et al., 2023).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWang Xia et al. (2022) examined factors influencing the deviation in farmers\u0026rsquo; willingness to participate in the \"grain to feed\" reform. Their findings indicate that the deviation in behavior correlates negatively with farmers' perception of economic value and social benefits; optimizing policy subsidies and strengthening technical guidance can reduce this deviation significantly. Enhanced agricultural infrastructure supports policy effectiveness, while participation in agricultural organizations weakens behavioral deviation. Additionally, factors such as gender and age significantly impact farmers\u0026rsquo; willingness to act, with those earning higher non-agricultural incomes finding it more challenging to align their willingness with behavior. Gong Xin et al. (2024) also explored the relationship between farmland rotation policies and farmers' awareness and willingness to respond. This study aligns with and extends these findings, suggesting that the success of policies depends on how well specific guidance aligns with farmers' production characteristics and business preferences. Recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of farmers should receive greater focus in policy formulation, improvement, and effectiveness to reduce administrative costs and increase effectiveness.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach farmer type represents both their aspiration for a \"good life\" and fundamental practical differences among them. MM farmers, characterized by effective management and financial resources, are well-positioned to adopt advanced agricultural technologies and experiment with modern practices. LN farmers, by contrast, have a strong attachment to their local environment, relying on their extensive experience and proficiency in cultivation and breeding methods. In contrast, NL farmers often adopt a passive approach to farming and are more inclined toward urban development opportunities due to limited financial resources, weakened acceptance of new technologies, significant family responsibilities, and a low tolerance for risk. For MM farmers, the \"good life\" can be achieved by capitalizing on their modern management advantages and preserving a rural retreat. For LN farmers, their \"good life\" is deeply connected to the green landscapes and pristine waters of their hometown, which they have cultivated diligently over generations For NL farmers, achieving \"a good life\" requires stable income, adoption of efficient agricultural machinery and infrastructure, improved transportation, and enhanced education during the urbanization process. They focus on improving the living standards of the next generation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe Xiaolong (2024) highlighted issues in rural public cultural supply, where administrative support has fallen short. The \"autonomous cultural society\" model in rural areas, driven by the self-organization of rural literature and arts, village committees, village groups, councils, and families, creates opportunities for community-driven cultural activities. This cultural life resembles the self-sustained cultural supply in rural areas, offering a rich, low-cost, and accessible \"high welfare\" governance model. Beyond the \"hard support\" of public welfare and market mechanisms, locality, innovation, integration, autonomy, and organization, this model is supported by the \"soft guarantee\" of healthy rural social interactions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6 Conclusions and Policy Implications","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study identified three farmer classifications: Modern Management (MM), Local Nostalgia (LN), and Negative Livelihood (NL). Each had distinct attitudes toward five aspects of rural revitalization in a GBA city. Shared priorities among these groups include preserving farmland, maintaining favorable weather conditions, and securing family homesteads. Therefore, initiatives such as protecting farmland, enhancing soil fertility, expanding agricultural insurance coverage, developing high-quality farmland, supporting facility-based agriculture, and clarifying homestead ownership rights are widely supported.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor MM farmers, who show a proactive interest in rural industry development, government policies that create a conducive business environment for rural industry development are particularly valuable. This group tends to apply modern business concepts and financial resources effectively, especially with government backing. Given their proactive approach to operations, policies should focus on necessary supervision while minimizing intervention in their production and management processes to encourage their enthusiasm and initiative.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLN farmers require a stable business environment and reliable sales channels. With their expertise in agricultural planting and breeding, they can efficiently produce high-quality agricultural products. Since they are most recognized for their local characteristics, policies should prioritize conservation over radical changes, such as rural style transformations and customs modifications, to minimize resistance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNL farmers demonstrate a greater need for improved rural infrastructure and enriched cultural life. They seek services that match urban standards, particularly in transportation, education, and logistics. This group also requires additional support and subsidies for livestock breeding and legal matters compared to the other farmer types. Considering that this type is relatively less enthusiastic about agricultural development, policies that are inclusive rather than competitive can achieve substantial positive results for this group.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study during April 6 and May 22, 2023. Participants were explicitly informed of their right to withdraw consent at any stage without penalty.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study involving human participants was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Ethical approval was obtained on March 5, 2021 from the Academic Committee at Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Approval No. 202030) prior to data collection.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by provincial agricultural research foundation grants [GD21YGL11] [2023A1515011018] [Yue Cai Nong [2024] No. 28], and provincial research institute academic fund grants [202030][202310]. Funders played no role in the research process.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbhijit VB, Esther Duflo (2013) Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. China Citic, pp 62\u0026ndash;63\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAddams H, Proops J, Van Eeten M, Dayton BW, Focht W, Lawler JJ, Steelman TA, Fairweather JR, Swaffield S, Capdevila R (2000) Social Discourse and Environmental Policy: An Application of Q Methodology. first ed. Edward Elgar Publisher Inc, Policy, Northampton. Massachusetts 17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnna Z, Yusuf AA, Alisjahbana AS, Ghina AA, Rahma (2019) Are fishermen happier? 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Sci Decis Mak 07:60\u0026ndash;61\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Farmers, Good life, Classification, China, Rural revitalization","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835481/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835481/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe main societal challenge in China has shifted to balancing the population\u0026rsquo;s growing demand for an improved quality of life with limited, uneven development. This study examines how rural population characteristics influence rural revitalization policies in a city within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Through in-depth interviews with local farmers and Q methodology analysis, \u003cb\u003ewe identify three farmer archetypes based on their views toward\u003c/b\u003e industry, talent, culture, environment, and organizational structures revitalization: modern management, local nostalgia, and negative livelihood. Each group shares concerns regarding farmland preservation, favorable weather, and homestead security, highlighting common policy needs such as protecting arable land, improving soil fertility, expanding agricultural insurance, constructing high-standard farmland, supporting facility agriculture, and confirming homestead rights. Farmers recognize that diminishing arable land poses significant challenges to agricultural progress, while technology and operational scaling are vital to mitigating weather-related risks. Diverse aspirations shape each group\u0026rsquo;s pursuit of a \"good life\": modern managers seek government support for a thriving rural economy; local nostalgists prioritize stable operations and sales networks; and negative livelihood types favor improved rural infrastructure and cultural amenities. For effective policy promotion, local authorities should align policies with farmers\u0026rsquo; unique needs and backgrounds to foster active participation in revitalization efforts.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Coupling Farmers' Quality of Life with Rural Revitalization Policy in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-05 20:22:11","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6835481/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"29ee7c94-8456-4a51-8d56-e25c430d26f6","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 5th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":54162042,"name":"Social science/Social policy"},{"id":54162043,"name":"Social science/Development studies"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-09-30T22:38:33+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-05 20:22:11","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6835481","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6835481","identity":"rs-6835481","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}