The Effect of Land Transfer on Rural Collective Action: Evidence From Guizhou Province, China

ABSTRACT Land transfer plays a pivotal role in driving agricultural modernization and rural revitalization in China; however, its impact on rural collective action remains insufficiently examined. Using micro‐level survey data from farm households in Guizhou Province, this study examines the relationship between land transfer and rural collective action, with a focus on the development of the rural collective economy. Employing the Probit model, we find that land transfer significantly enhances rural collective action, a result that remains robust after addressing endogeneity and conducting rigorous robustness checks. Mechanism analysis reveals that land transfer fosters collective action by strengthening village leadership and accumulating social capital. Furthermore, rural shareholding cooperation reform further enhances the positive effects of land transfer. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the benefits of land transfer are more pronounced in villages with smaller populations and higher levels of collective economic development.