Can the Internet improve agricultural production? Evidence from Viet Nam
利用2008-2012年越南农村面板数据，发现互联网接入使农业总产出提高6.8%，主要通过更有效使用化肥实现，对年轻农户和欠发达北部省份效果更显著。
Abstract This paper aims to contribute to the growing literature on the potential benefits of the Internet on rural livelihoods. We estimate the relationship between Internet access and agricultural production in rural Viet Nam using a panel dataset from 2008–2012. This is a time span during which Internet access increased substantially and government‐run and private online outlets providing information about agriculture started to operate. Our findings suggest that Internet access is associated with a 6.8% higher volume of total agricultural output. We find that this result is manifested through more efficient use of fertilizer. Our findings are stronger for younger households. The less developed northern provinces have benefited the most from the arrival of the Internet. The results are weaker in the case of rice, which is related to strong government involvement in rice production and prices.