In this study, to discover how the growth of digital agriculture has impacted agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP), we take panel data from 2011 to 2019 for 30 Chinese provinces as the research object, measure the growth of AGTFP and digital agriculture development using the SBM-ML and entropy method, and use a fixed effect model to analyze the effects of digital agriculture development on AGTFP. The results demonstrate that (1) from the time-series characteristics, digital agriculture presented a steady growth state from 2011 to 2019; (2) during the study period, the technical efficiency index was slightly lower than the technological progress index in the AGTFP index, meaning that there is room for further development; (3) the relationship between the growth of digital agriculture and AGTFP presents an inverted U-shaped curve, with human capital playing a moderating role. Finally, corresponding countermeasures are proposed in four aspects: strengthening the construction of organizational mechanisms, building a standardized base for digital agriculture output, enhancing the traceability and certification of agricultural products, and improving social services in the agricultural industry.

By mastering the spatial-temporal evolution of patterns of soybean production, a reference for optimizing a soybean production layout could be provided, ensuring food security. The variation coefficient method, and the comparative advantage and spatial autocorrelation models were used to analyze the spatial divergence regularities of soybean production, sown area and yield, spatial-temporal changes in the comparative advantages of soybean planting efficiency and soybean planting scale, and the spatial agglomeration characteristics in China from 1949 to 2019. The results indicate that (1) from 1949 to 2019, soybean production and yield changes in China remained constant with a fluctuating upwards trend, and soybean sown areas hardly changed, yet experienced a sharp fluctuation. (2) The Northeast China Plain (NECP) was the main soybean-producing area, and its main position was strengthened. In contrast, the main soybean production position of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (HHHP) has declined. The Northern arid and semiarid region (NASR), the Sichuan Basin and surrounding areas (SBSR), the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain (MLYP), and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau (YGP) became new soybean production growth poles. (3) The spatial distribution of soybean planting efficiency-related comparative advantages in China extended from northern China to the whole country, and the soybean planting scale-related comparative advantages proceeded through three stages: steady expansion, relative stability, contraction, and stabilization. (4) The spatial agglomeration of soybean planting efficiency-related comparative advantages has weakened, and the spatial agglomeration of the soybean planting scale-related comparative advantages exhibited a strengthening-weakening-strengthening-weakening process. Through our research analysis, we propose a policy resource to fully utilize the soybean planting efficiency-related comparative advantages in southern China (SC), promote grain-soybean rotation patterns in the HHHP and NECP, improve the soybean cultivation subsidy system, and build a soybean industry chain in the NECP.

The Grain for Green Project (GGP) aims to protect and improve the ecological environment, end farming on sloping farmland, and plant trees and restore forest vegetation. China’s GGP has been widely implemented, but its impact on the environment is rarely evaluated from farmers’ perspectives. This study took place in Zhidan and Yanchang Counties, Shaanxi Province. Farmers’ attitudes towards the GGP were investigated through semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of changes in ecosystem services and their level of ecological awareness, as well as analyzing which factors had the greatest impact on them. Our results indicate that some farmers are not satisfied with the GGP and are unwilling to participate in future GGPs, which is not only due to the dissatisfaction with subsidies offered but also because the needs of the farmers have been ignored. From the perspective of farmers, the GGP has greatly reduced soil erosion and air pollution but has had no effect on improving water quality and protecting biodiversity. More male farmers are willing to participate, and farmers with higher levels of education are more satisfied with the GGP. We also found that the level of understanding of ecological cognition affected farmers’ attitudes, and farmers with different levels of knowledge differ in their willingness to participate. Our research found that many farmers were dissatisfied with the GGP. To improve this situation, it is necessary to improve the ecological awareness of farmers. At the same time, policy makers should also further understand the needs of farmers in order to make reasonable management strategies.

Sustainable agricultural production systems are important for ensuring food security. However, they are severely threatened by soil degradation and carbon emissions resulting from traditional farming practices. A cooperative-dominated conservation tillage model attempts to mitigate these issues, yet it is not clear how this model has been implemented and how well it performs in practice. This study takes Lishu County in Jilin Province in Northeast China as a case study to explore the implementation of a cooperative-dominated conservation tillage (CDCT) model and its practical effectiveness. In contrast to the traditional production model, this model uses cooperatives as the direct managers of cultivated land and promotes the construction of new production units and large-scale and mechanized operations to standardize the application of conservation tillage technology in agricultural production. Scientific research institutes, governments, and enterprises are supporters of cooperatives, empowering them in terms of technology, capital, products, and services. The evaluation results show that, unlike the traditional production model, which caused a decrease in the soil organic carbon content, the organic carbon content of the topsoil of cultivated land under this model increased by an average of 6.17% after 9 years of conservation tillage application. Furthermore, the soil structural stability index of the cultivated land increased from 3.35% to 3.69%, indicating that the degree of soil structural degradation was alleviated to a certain extent. The CDCT model effectively enhanced the operational efficiency and fertilizer use efficiency, and the carbon footprint of maize production was also reduced by 15.65% compared to the traditional production model. In addition, the total production cost was reduced by 1449 CNY/ha and profit increased by 2599 CNY/ha on average, indicating higher economic returns under the CDCT model due to increased yields and lower input costs. Farmers who are freed from agricultural production activities by transferring their farmland can also gain two types of income—land revenue and labor wagesi—thus mproving their living conditions. The CDCT model can deliver multigoal benefits and be of great value in its extension to other regions. This study may provide lessons for the sustainable use of cultivated land in China and other developing countries, contributing to agricultural development with lower environmental costs.

The project-based construction land-use policy of ‘increasing versus decreasing balance’ (IVDB) is pivotal to easing the contradiction between urban and rural land in China. Understanding the relationship between the scale and revenue of the balanced quota is crucial for increasing the efficiency of quota-allocated, and further improving, IVDB performance. However, existing studies have rarely revealed the impact of the balanced quota’s scale on its revenue, supported through empirical evidence. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between the scale and revenue of the balanced quota and used the quadratic econometric model to explore the inverted U-shaped impact of the scale of the balanced quota on the revenue of the 1907 IVDB projects in Zhejiang province. The results show that: (1) the relationship between the quota’s scale and the revenue shows an inverted ‘U’ type in Zhejiang. On the premise of considering three control variable groups, the optimally balanced quota of Zhejiang province is 7.19 ha. (2) There is spatial heterogeneity in the optimal scale of the balanced quota in Zhejiang and the appreciated scale of the quota in northeast and southwest Zhejiang is 9.50 ha and 6.03 ha, respectively. Then we discussed problems associated with the scale and revenue of the project-based balanced quota under the implementation of the IVDB policy. The study enriches the performance analysis of IVDB policy from the point of view of economic perspective and tries to provide a scientific basis for the appropriate size quota for local government. Finally, comprehensive consideration of inputs to allocate the balanced quota, optimizing the rural resettlements spatial planning, and strengthening central-government supervision is put forward.