Does Land Consolidation Reduce Farmland Abandonment? Plot-Level Evidence from Hilly China

Land consolidation (LC) is a major land policy in China, yet “consolidated but still abandoned” farmland remains observed in some hilly areas, implying that engineering upgrading alone may be insufficient to sustain cultivation. This study argues that LC affects abandonment not only by improving plot conditions but also by reshaping the feasibility and organization of mechanized operations through socialized agricultural machinery services. Using a 2024 micro-survey of 1167 households and 5014 plots in hilly Sichuan, we develop and test a framework linking “LC–machinery service scale–abandonment behavior”. Machinery service scale is measured by service depth, service breadth, and service quality. Empirical results show that LC significantly lowers plot abandonment. LC increases all three service dimensions, but abandonment reduction is mainly transmitted through deeper and broader service provision, rather than service quality. Moreover, LC is more effective for flat and remote plots and among ordinary smallholders, highlighting strong context dependence. These findings contribute micro-level evidence that integrating LC with service system development is crucial for translating land engineering improvements into sustained land use in hilly rural China.