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From certification to agglomeration: Evidence from geographical indications of agricultural products in China

delete2026-04-30
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PRE
AI
Z
Zhaofeng Tan
T
Teng Huang *
T
Tianjun Liu *
X
Xinshuang Zhang
Z
Ziqing Tian
DOI:10.1002/ajae.70074delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Marshallian agglomeration is typically attributed to input–output linkages, labor market pooling, and knowledge spillovers; however, empirical evidence on how these mechanisms operate in agricultural settings remains limited. This paper examines whether and how China's agricultural geographical indications certification fosters agricultural agglomeration. Exploiting the staggered rollout of this certification system since 2008 as a quasi-natural experiment, we employ a staggered difference-in-differences design and find that certification significantly promotes county-level agricultural agglomeration, primarily through strengthened input–output linkages: it encourages the colocation of upstream producers and downstream processors and deepens local production networks. In contrast, we find no significant effects through labor market pooling or knowledge spillovers. The agglomeration effects are concentrated in plant-based certifications and are stronger in counties with better market access and transportation infrastructure. Overall, our findings extend Marshallian agglomeration theory to agriculture and provide new causal evidence on how agricultural geographical indications certification contributes to agricultural agglomeration as part of broader sectoral structural transformation.
Keywords:
agricultural agglomeration
agricultural value chains
China
firm entry
geographical indications
input–output linkages
Marshallian externalities
rural development
staggered difference-in-differences

Journal

American Journal of Agricultural Economics cover
American Journal of Agricultural Economics
IF:
3.3
Papers:
6.6K
Citations:
8.9K

Organization

N
Northwest A&F University
Scholars:
9.5K
Papers: 2.5K
Citations: 4.2W
U
University of California
Scholars:
7.3K
Papers: 2.8K
Citations: 8.3W
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