Social Capital, Financial Lending and Farmer Entrepreneurship Behavior: An Empirical Study Based on CFPS Data

This study used China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) data from the Peking University and analyzed the impact of social capital on the entrepreneurial behavior choices of farmers based on the Probit model. Using the mediation effect model, further examined the potential intrinsic relationship between social capital and financial lending, and analyzed how social capital affects farmer entrepreneurship behavior through financial lending. The research results showed that, social capital had a significant positive impact on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers, and the results were still significant even after using replacement core explanatory variables, tail reduction treatment, and replacement econometric methods; Both formal and informal financial lending had a mediating effect on the impact of social capital on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers; The promotion effect of social capital on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers in the western region was more significant. Based on this, policy recommendations were proposed: in the future, government departments should focus on expanding channels for the accumulation of social capital among farmers, attach importance to the financing role of social capital in the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers, fully leverage the promoting effect of social capital of farmers in underdeveloped areas on entrepreneurial activities, and further improve the formal financial service system in rural areas.