Technology includes hard technology and soft technology. Material technology embodied in production conditions and working conditions such as machinery, equipment and infrastructure is called hard technology, referring to the technology directly used in the development and production of means of production and means of subsistence, such as product design technology, equipment manufacturing technology, etc. Non-material technology, which embodies the experience, skills and management ability of process management, decision support and information technology, is called soft technology. Hard technologies make things easier and faster, while soft technologies promote flexibility and creativity. However, hard technologies take time to produce and have negative environmental impacts, while soft technologies are simple to produce but hard to use. Hence, finding the right balance between hard and soft technology investment is important for the sustainable increase of productivity. In recent years, China has continuously increased its investment in science and technology in aquaculture industry. However, the majority of the investment has gone to hard technology, which has hampered the long-term development of the industry. This paper aims to look at the status quo of the scientific and technological progress of the aquaculture industry in China and explore how the advancement of hard and soft technologies play a role in the economic growth of the aquaculture industry. Transcendental logarithmic production function is employed to calculate the contribution rate of technological progress on China’s aquaculture industry, and the contribution rates of hard technologies and soft technologies are examined separately. The results indicate that, from 2012 to 2020, the contribution rate of overall technical progress on aquaculture in China was 80.159%, of which 71.720% came from the progress of hard technologies, while only 8.439% came from the progress of soft technologies. Based on this conclusion, the paper calls for a balance of hard and soft technologies in the aquaculture industry in China to ensure a healthy and sustainable aquaculture industry. Policy suggestions are also put forward.

Digital technology has the function of information governance, and digital transformation of enterprises may be the key way to identify and restrain ESG greenwashing. Based on the theory of digital empowerment, this study analyzes the influence and mechanism of digital transformation on restraining corporate green washing behavior from the perspective of internal and external factors. This study takes A-share listed companies in 2012–2022 as research samples and tests the effectiveness of digital transformation. Research has found that (1) digital transformation can significantly suppress corporate greenwashing behavior, and this conclusion still holds after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. (2) In the context of high environmental awareness among executives, the inhibitory effect of digital transformation on corporate ESG greenwashing is more pronounced. (3) Mechanism analysis shows that digital transformation has inhibited the company’s greenwashing behavior by increasing the attention of investors. (4) Heterogeneity analysis shows that in state-owned enterprises, non-heavily polluting industries, high-tech industries, and enterprises located in the eastern region digital transformation has a more effective inhibitory effect on corporate greenwashing behavior. This study examines the impact of digital transformation on corporate ESG greenwashing, expands the research on the non-economic effects of digital transformation, and may provide empirical evidence for improving the quality of ESG information disclosure and sustainable development of enterprises.

Based on the internationally recognized concept of food security and the scientific connotation of the “Great Food View”. This research constructs China’s provincial food security evaluation system under the “Great Food View” by comprehensively considering the regional food supply logic and dietary habits differences. Combining the improved entropy weight method and AHP to quantitatively evaluate the current situation and trend of food security in China’s provinces (except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) from 2009 to 2021 by using this system—on the basis of dividing China’s provinces into main food production provinces and non-main food production provinces. The results demonstrate that all provinces have entered the ranks of “security” and above food security, and the mismatch between “high vulnerability and low security” has been alleviated. Yet, the problem of “difficult growth” in the provinces with the lowest score of food security has emerged. The green and sustainability of the food security system in the main food production areas have been at a low level, and the food security in non-main food production areas has seen the “Matthew effect” of uneven development. Finally, policy implications are proposed from the aspects of diversified development of food sources, precision agriculture subsidy guide, optimization of farmland compensation and protection policies, and optimization of food storage and distribution.

Purpose: This paper examines pre- and post-production water treatment practices among food processors and investigates factors, especially managerial perceptions of environmental pressure that encourage or preclude either process.Design/methodology/approach: To consider potential spillover effects across two water-treatment practices, the bivariate probit model based on random utility theory is used to investigate how practices are influenced by managerial perceptions of environmental pressure and measured by manager perceptions on water costs, water availability, water safety and quality.Findings: Results indicate that firms with a managerial perception that water costs are low are less likely to conduct both pre- and post-production water treatment practices, while the perception of high water quality has a negative effect on water treatment prior to use. This study also confirms the positive correlation of the pre- and post-water treatment practices among food processors. Practices also change with firm features including production scope, scale, target market and expected future sales growth.Practical implications: This study provides unique insights about water treatment practices and generates knowledge to enhance food safety and environmental sanitation in the food industry. Results are helpful to design and provide additional training and educational programs that target the enhancement of environmental and water quality awareness among food company managers and modify food safety policy instruments and environmental regulations pertaining to surface water resources.Originality/value: Research exploring water-treatment practices in the food industry has been limited. Using a representative sample of food processors in the city of Shanghai, this study contributes to the literature on the examination of internal drivers of voluntary environmental management (VEM) with a focus on managerial perceptions of environmental pressure, establishes the correlation between pre- and post-production water treatment practices and identifies and quantifies the effects of relevant factors.

Family reserves are an important part of national reserves, and how to do a good job in family reserves is a common concern of the government and society. Under the non-normal conditions of major accidents and disasters, wars, plagues, social unrest, etc., urban food supply mainly depends on external supply guarantee, and urban residents’ risk perception is more sensitive. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Norm Activation Model, this study constructs an analytical framework for the risk perception, perceived behavior control, and family reserve efficacy of urban residents under non-normal conditions from the perspectives of rationality and sensibility, self-interest, and altruism. The perceived behavior control of household food reserves in non-normal conditions is affected by risk perception, subjective norms, and personal norms. On this basis, countermeasures and suggestions are put forward: Urban residents should strengthen their sense of risk and responsibility for storing food at home, reserve food appropriately, and develop a good habit of family saving. On the other hand, it is necessary to pay attention to personal norms, reduce the negative impact of subjective norms on residents, and avoid excessive food storage and food waste.

As a new type of agricultural management organization alliance, the effect of the benefit linkage generated by agricultural industrialization consortium on collaboration performance is closely related to the sustainable development of the agricultural economy. Based on survey data on consortia in Shanghai, this paper analyzes the effects of benefit linkage and uses multiple linear regression modeling to comprehensively explore the impact of benefit linkage effects on collaboration performance from both subjective and objective aspects, as well as the differences in impact on the collaboration performance of consortia with different organizational structures. The results show that the benefit linkage effect has a positive impact on collaboration performance, and there are differences in the impact of the benefit linkage effect on collaboration performance under different types of organizational structures, among which the resource allocation effect, capitalization effect and correlation effect of the benefit linkage of non-joint stock consortia have a positive impact on collaboration performance; the resource allocation effect of joint-stock consortia has no significant impact on collaboration performance, the capitalization effect on collaboration performance is significantly lower than that of non-joint stock consortia, and the correlation effect on collaboration performance is significantly higher than that of non-joint-stock consortia. Therefore, under a certain benefit linkage, according to the establishment purpose and collaboration goal, a consortium with different types of organizational structures should be established to give full play to the impact of the benefit linkage effect on collaboration performance and promote the sustainable development of agricultural industrialization.