High-standard farmland construction is an important initiative in China that promotes sustainable agricultural development and ensures food security through land consolidation. This study measures the growth of agricultural total factor productivity (ATFP) in China, which is used to characterize the sustainable development of agriculture. Using provincial panel data from China and a continuous difference-in-difference (DID) model, the study examines the impact of high-standard farmland construction policy on ATFP growth. Results show that ATFP in China has an increasing trend with an average annual growth rate of 3.6%. The average enhancement effect of high-standard farmland construction policy on ATFP is 1.0%, which remains significant after various robustness tests. The positive effect of the policy on ATFP becomes apparent in the third year of implementation and shows a gradually increasing trend. The study also finds that the impact of high-standard farmland construction on ATFP is more pronounced in the central regions of China, the main grain-producing regions, and the regions with higher ATFP. High-standard farmland construction policy enhances ATFP by promoting agricultural technology change and technical efficiency. To promote the growth of ATFP and achieve sustainable agricultural development, China should continue to promote the construction of high-standard farmland and explore suitable construction models for different regions.

Although the literature demonstrates that rural industrial integration can enhance farmers' income, foster rural development, its impact on agricultural total factor productivity (ATFP), a critical aspect of sustainable food systems remains unclear. Using provincial-level data from 2008 to 2018, this paper constructs a composite index of rural industrial integration and examines its effect, heterogeneity, and spatial spillover on ATFP growth in China. The findings indicate that the levels of rural industry integration and ATFP experienced a gradual increase from 2008 to 2018. Rural industry integration promotes ATFP growth through technical progress and improved technical efficiency. An analysis of regional heterogeneity reveals that rural industry integration has the most significant impact on ATFP promotion in the western region, followed by the central region, with the least impact in the eastern region of China. Unconditional quantile regression suggests that rural industrial integration has a more considerable impact on ATFP in regions with higher ATFP. Furthermore, the spatial Durbin model results demonstrate that rural industry integration directly supports rural industry integration development in a region while simultaneously inhibiting ATFP growth in surrounding areas. Finally, the findings also reveal that enhancing rural industrial integration can have positive impacts on sustainable agricultural production in China. These findings offer valuable insights for other developing countries aiming to promote sustainable consumption and production.

This study rigorously assesses the influence of China’s high-standard farmland construction policy on fertilizer use efficiency by utilizing a continuous difference-in-difference model. The analysis, covering 30 provinces, reveals a persistently low, yet gradually improving, level of fertilizer use efficiency, with an average annual growth rate of 2.26%. The policy’s positive impact on fertilizer use efficiency becomes discernible starting from the third year following its implementation and continues to improve steadily with a rate of 2.02% per year. Results of the mediation analysis show that the enhancement in fertilizer use efficiency is primarily attributed to improved land quality and expanded agricultural production scales. Furthermore, the empirical evidence highlights the policy’s differential impact, demonstrating stronger effectiveness in the eastern region, principal grain-producing areas, and provinces that already exhibit higher levels of fertilizer use efficiency. These findings underscore the importance of region-specific models for the continued promotion of the high-standard farmland construction policy, advocating for tailored approaches to optimize fertilizer use efficiency and promote sustainable agricultural development.

The China-Europe Railway Express (CRexpress) has established a new land transportation route between Asia and Europe as part of China’s westward expansion. The resulting trade promotion effect has the potential to improve industrial development and factor flows, ultimately leading to a reduction in the income disparity between urban and rural areas in cities that use the CRexpress. The impact of the CRexpress on income disparities between urban and rural areas in cities that use the service is of particular interest, as the empirical evidence on the relationship between international trade and these disparities is inconsistent. Using a difference-in-differences model and macro panel data, this study found that the CRexpress significantly narrowed the urban-rural income gap in cities where it was operational, and that this effect had a spillover effect on nearby cities. However, the magnitude of this effect decreased with distance. The mechanism analysis indicated that the CRexpress narrowed the income gap by promoting secondary industry development, but this effect varied significantly by region, with pronounced effects in eastern coastal cities and less pronounced effects in inland cities in the central and western region. The study suggests that local governments in these regions should focus on improving the institutional environment and providing industrial support to promote industrial transfer in order to narrow the urban-rural income gap and promote overall economic development.

Background: Reducing agricultural carbon emissions can enhance agricultural resilience and promote sustainable agricultural development. Although prior research has examined how agricultural new-quality productive forces (ANQP) reshape factor allocation, technology adoption, and production efficiency, their implications for agricultural carbon emissions remain insufficiently studied. Objective: To quantify the impact of ANQP on agricultural carbon emissions, assess regional heterogeneity across the east, central, and west, between grain and non-grain areas, between the Yangtze River Economic Belt and other regions, and across different levels of fiscal support, and to identify an efficiency-based transmission mechanism. Materials and Methods: A panel of 30 Chinese provinces for 2012–2022 is analyzed using province and year fixed effects. Results: ANPQ significantly reduce agricultural carbon emissions. The effect is stronger in western provinces, in non-grain areas, within the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and where fiscal support is higher, and weaker in eastern and low-support regions. Trade-offs between yield stabilization and emission reduction emerge in the central region and in major grain-producing areas. Mechanism results indicate that ANQP lowers emissions primarily by improving agricultural production efficiency measured by total factor productivity.

This study examines the impact of internet use on farmers' adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) technology and investigates the underlying mechanisms. Based on micro-level survey data collected from 802 farm households across six prefecture-level regions in Hubei Province during January–February 2024, an endogenous switching probit model is employed within a counterfactual framework to estimate both direct and indirect effects. The findings indicate that: (1) among current internet users, the probability of adopting IPM would decline by 28.2 percentage if they ceased using the internet, whereas for current non-users, initiating internet use would increase initial adoption probability by 33.2 percentage; (2) regarding willingness for continued IPM use, for farmers who currently adopt IPM practices, discontinuing internet use would reduce the likelihood of continued adoption by 15.5 percentage, while for non-users, commencing internet use would increase this likelihood by 22.1 percentage; (3) internet use influences IPM adoption indirectly by enhancing farmers' capacity for information acquisition and improving access to technology, accounting for 11.5 and 13.66% of the total effect, respectively. Policy recommendations include expanding internet infrastructure in rural areas, offering practical training in internet use, reinforcing IPM extension services, and developing accessible online platforms to facilitate interactions between farmers and technical experts. This work links digital tools to agroecology and ecosystem services and supports a shift to sustainable food systems.