This paper studies the EKC hypothesis and STIRPAT model. Based on the panel data of carbon emission intensity and other influencing factors of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2018, the spatial effect of per capita food nitrogen footprint (FNF) and the effect of different socio-economic factors in China were studied by using exploratory spatial data analysis and fixed effect spatial Durbin model for the first time. The results show that: (1) there is a spatial agglomeration effect and a positive spatial dependence relationship in China’s provincial per capita FNF (FNFP), which verifies that the relationship between China’s FNF and economy is in the early stage of EKC hypothesis curve. (2) The driving forces of China’s FNF were explored, including Engel’s coefficient of urban households (ECU), population density (PDEN), urbanization, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and technology. (3) The results show that there is a significant spatial spillover effect of FNFP. The ECU and NUE can reduce the regional FNFP, and can slow down the FNFP of surrounding provinces. (4) Policy makers need to formulate food nitrogen emission reduction policies from the food demand side, food consumption side and regional level.

High-skilled talent plays a crucial role in urban innovation and high-quality development. Attracting high-skilled workers has therefore become an important strategy for cities seeking to enhance their long-term competitiveness. We use the number of 4 G base stations in cities as a proxy for digital infrastructure and construct a dataset on the inflow of high-skilled talent into cities. The study finds that digital infrastructure has a significant positive effect on attracting high-skilled talent into cities, and this conclusion remains robust after a series of robustness tests. The underlying mechanism is that digital infrastructure attracts high-skilled talent through income-driven effect, innovation-driven effect, and improved livability. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the marginal impact of digital infrastructure on attracting high-skilled talent is greater in cities with a more open business environment, higher levels of technological innovation, higher population density, and lower administrative status. Further analysis reveals that digital infrastructure facilitates both the inflow and outflow of high-skilled talent in developed cities, with a net effect of enhancing urban human capital accumulation. However, these effects have not yet manifested in less developed cities. This study provides important insights into how digital infrastructure can be leveraged to attract high-skilled talent and enhance talent competitiveness in the context of a declining demographic dividend.