The escalating frequency, intensity, and complexity of global natural disasters, extreme weather events, and the intensification of international geopolitical conflicts pose serious challenges to the global food supply. In an era marked by historic changes, significant shifts in the external environment, and an increase in risks and adverse factors, the need for resilient and high-quality agricultural development becomes paramount 1. Resilience initially referred to the capacity of a system to revert to its original state following an external shock 2. Presently, the concept has been extensively applied in research across ecology, economy, industrial development, and other fields. According to Folke's theory, agricultural resilience (AR) can be interpreted as the ability of an agricultural system to ensure its original key functions under external disturbances 3. Fostering a resilient, high-quality agriculture is critical not only for China’s food security but also plays a pivotal role in global food security and building a shared future for humanity 4.
China, a major agricultural country with a large population 5, led global food production in 2022 with a harvest of 686.53 billion kilograms. This achievement underscores China’s commitment to agricultural development, evidenced by the prioritization of agriculture in national policies. For instance, the Central Committee’s Document No. 1 has emphasized agricultural development as its primary theme for 21 consecutive years since 2004, highlighting farmland improvement as a critical area of focus. High-standard farmland construction (HSFC) plays a key role in advancing agricultural social services and governance in China 6, contributing to poverty alleviation and rural economic development, thereby strengthening AR 7. Defined as a modernized network of agricultural infrastructure, including irrigation systems, drainage systems, and road networks 8, high-standard farmland (HSF) is fundamental to enhancing food security. Recent policies and plans, such as the reports from the 20th Party Congress and the National HSFC Plan (2021–2030), outline ambitious goals for the development and upgrading of HSF 9, reflecting China’s dedication to stable food supplies and sustainable agricultural development 10. However, the impact and mechanisms of HSF on agricultural development amid challenges like natural disasters, population growth, and diminishing land resources require further investigation to inform strategies for quality agricultural development.
Existing studies have explored the effects of HSF on various aspects such as the rural environment 10–12, food production 8,9, and poverty reduction 12,13. Firstly, there is a lack of research to assess the overall effects of the implementation of HSF as a vigorously pursued agricultural policy in China. Second, the number of quantitative studies exploring the direction of agricultural improvement from an external macro perspective is low in the context of increasing food security risks. In this context, this study attempts to make the following contributions: firstly, it enriches the research field of AR by incorporating the DPSIR model and considering multiple subjects in the indicator system. Secondly, we consider the key role of the farmer subject between arable land and agricultural growth, construct a theoretical model based on the role of farmers in the agricultural production system and business system, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the mechanism by which HSF affects AR, which enriches the research perspective of agricultural development. The rest of the article is organised as follows: the second part is the literature review, the third part is the theoretical analysis and hypotheses, the fourth part is the research methodology and data, the fifth part is the empirical results, and the last part is the conclusion and discussion.