The conflict between traditional technology supply and farmers' market-oriented demand was a significant obstacle that hindered the efficiency of China's agricultural technology transfer system. The technical envoy system, an innovative agricultural technology transfer model initially developed in South China, offers a promising solution. The cornerstone of this system is the integration of governmental, industrial, technological, and market resources, which centered around technical envoys. This integration balances planned and market-based economic mechanisms while also taking into account the diverse interests of multiple stakeholders. In this article, by adopting the concept of science capital as our key analytical tool, we conducted an in-depth case study on the context, operation, and underlying mechanisms that contribute to the efficiency of this model. The paper found that a proactive government and an efficient market stimulate the generation and flow of science capital, ultimately enhancing the overall efficiency of the agricultural production system via the self-amplification and reproduction of capital. It is suggested that we should continue to enhance financial support for technical envoy system and effectively attract talents of different majors to close the distance with farmers at the grassroots level. By forming a more solid agricultural technology expansion network, we can achieve significant results in "line connection, dense network, and people gathering."

technical envoy  /  agricultural technology transfer  /  innovation  /  science popularization  /  science capital