Spatial Spillover Effect of Rural Labor Transfer on the Eco-Efficiency of Cultivated Land Use: Evidence from China

In this study, the influence of rural labor transfer and its spatial spillover effect on the eco-efficiency of cultivated land use (ECLU) in different regions were investigated using the undesirable super-efficiency epsilon based measure (EBM) and spatial Durbin models and data of 31 Chinese provinces for the period 1990–2018. The results show that: (1) China’s rural labor transfer rate increased; (2) in the east region, the ECLU has exceeded the national average level since 2001. In the west and northeast regions, the ECLU was higher, whereas it remained below the national average level in Central China; (3) in the whole country, west, and northeast regions, the effect of rural labor transfer on the ECLU was first negative and then positive, whereas it was insignificant in East and Central China. In Central, West, and Northeast China, the effect of the labor transfer on the ECLU had significant spatial spillover effects; (4) a significant U-shaped trend was observed between the local labor transfer and ECLU in the whole country, west, and northeast regions. A positive linear correlation was determined for Central China; labor transfer in other regions had significant indirect effects on the ECLU in Central and Northeastern China. In conclusion, China’s rural labor transfer had a significant spatial spillover effect on the ECLU, and differences were observed between East, Central, West, and Northeast China.