Does digital literacy promote climate disaster-adaptive production behaviors among grain-producing smallholders in China?

Climate disasters lead to substantial economic losses and grain yield losses, emphasizing the need for adaptation to ensure food security. As digital technologies advance, it is imperative to investigate how digital literacy among grain farmers affects their adaptive production behaviors in the face of climate disasters. Drawing on survey data from 505 grain-producing smallholders in Sichuan Province, China, this study constructs a theoretical framework linking digital literacy, climate disaster risk perception, and adaptive production behaviors. Empirical analysis shows that digital literacy positively impacts the adaptive production behaviors of grain-producing smallholders. Our results are robust across various models and tests. An analysis of the mediation mechanism reveals that digital literacy contributes to climate disaster-adaptive production behaviors by improving the awareness of climate disaster risks. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive impact of digital literacy is more pronounced for smallholders that receive internet skills training and climate information services, and this impact intensifies as the level of agricultural infrastructure improves. The findings suggest that digital literacy plays a key role in reducing production risks, thereby contributing to increased sustainable agricultural development among smallholders.