Spatiotemporal dynamics of agricultural development and CO2 emissions in China

Excessive carbon emissions from various activities pose a considerable challenges for China as it seeks to balance agricultural development with carbon footprint management. This study explores the link between agricultural progress and carbon emissions across spatial and temporal variations in China. The findings reveal that improvements in agricultural practices tend to decrease both carbon emissions and their intensity. However, the short- and long-term effects differ notably. In more agriculturally advanced areas, emissions are reduced, showing an inverted U-shaped relationship between agriculture and carbon emissions in the eastern and central regions. In contrast, the western and central areas still faced potential increases in emissions. Additionally, agricultural progress has a significant spatial dimension on carbon emissions. In the short term, neighboring regions contribute considerably more carbon emissions than local agriculture. However, advancements in agriculture reduced emissions in nearby areas over time, and long-term agricultural progress has greatly reduced carbon emissions in surrounding regions. Although exploring strategies can help reduce emissions in agricultural settings, the reductions achieved through these approaches only partially offset the overall carbon emissions resulting from agricultural progress. Therefore, providing inclusive financial support is crucial for driving efforts to reduce agricultural emissions.