A path of green, low-carbon development in agriculture is to be explored in the face of global warming, which promotes sustainable development. Taking the policy of the main grain-producing area (MGPA) as a special background, this study shows the impact of the MGPA on reducing agricultural carbon emissions (ACEs). In the empirical analysis, a difference-in-differences (DID) model was constructed using panel data from 1999 to 2020 across 31 provinces in China to examine the impact of the MGPA on agricultural carbon emission reduction (ACER). The findings indicate the following: (1) The ACER is significantly promoted after the implementation of the MGPA policy. The results passed robustness and endogeneity tests. (2) The mechanism test reveals that the policy can achieve said reduction by advancing the level of planting specialization. (3) An analysis of the heterogeneity reveals that the implementation of this policy leads to a substantial decrease in ACE in regions characterized by lower economic development and imbalances in the structure of factors involved in agricultural production. Furthermore, in areas where small-scale farming prevails, the policy demonstrates enhanced effectiveness in ACER. The outcomes of this study not only elucidate the link between the MGPA and ACE but also serve as a valuable roadmap for achieving ACER and sustainable development. Additionally, they contribute to expanding the notion of environmentally friendly, low-carbon agriculture in the context of small-scale farming.

A major driving force behind China’s low-carbon, environmentally friendly development of agriculture and the accomplishment of the “dual-carbon” goal is the digital transformation of rural areas. In this study, on the basis of clarifying the degree of rural digitization and agricultural carbon emissions efficiency in China from 2010 to 2021, the degree of coupled coordination and the spatiotemporal pattern characteristics between the two are examined using the coupled coordination model. Then, the influencing factors are analyzed in depth using the spatial Durbin model. Our findings reveal that, first, in terms of the degree of rural digitization, the index increases overall and the spatial imbalance is obvious, with a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the east and low in the west”. Regarding the efficiency of agricultural carbon emissions, there is an overall “N-shaped” change, which is mainly influenced by technological progress in agricultural production, and the regional annual averages are, in descending order, the Western, Eastern, Northeastern, and Central regions, with obvious regional differences. Second, the coupling coordination index shows a fluctuating upward trend, from “extreme disorder” to “high-level coordination”. Furthermore, there are obvious regional characteristics. The regional growth rates are, in descending order, the Western, Eastern, Central, and Northeastern regions. Third, coupling coordination is jointly influenced by a variety of factors, including government input, educational level, industrial structure, energy use, urbanization rate, living standards, driving temporal patterns, and regional differences. This study not only helps to clarify the relationship between the two, offering a reference for the realization of the “dual-carbon” goal, but also broadens the concepts of the low-carbon and environmentally friendly development of agriculture.

Transforming the forestry development model and promoting the integrated development of the forestry industry has become an important way for forestry to break through development bottlenecks and achieve efficiency enhancement, prosperity of forest areas, and income increase for forest farmers. In this study, we have theoretically elaborated on the mechanism by which the integrated development of the forestry industry affects the income level of forest farmers. In terms of empirical research, we use the inter provincial panel data from 2005 to 2019 to empirically test the individual heterogeneity, regional heterogeneity, and spatial spillover effects of forestry industry integration on forest farmer income with the help of fixed effect model, quantile regression model and spatial panel model. Results showed that, firstly, the level of integration in the forestry industry is on the rise, with most provinces in the middle or high integration stage. Among them, the Northeast region has the highest level of integration. Secondly, there is a positive spatial correlation in the income of Chinese forest farmers, and the spatial correlation is gradually increasing. The income of forest farmers in coastal provinces is relatively high, as indicated by the presence of HH clusters. Thirdly, the integration of the forestry industry has significantly improved the income level of forest farmers, and there are group heterogeneity and regional differences. The heterogeneity of income is reflected in the increasing income effect of forestry industry integration, which continuously strengthens with the improvement of the income level of forest farmers. Regional heterogeneity is mainly manifested in the Northeastern, Eastern, and Central regions. The integration of forestry industries can significantly promote the growth of forest farmers’ income, while in the Western regions, the income increase effect of forestry industry integration has an inhibitory effect, but is not significant. Finally, the integration of the forestry industry has significant spatial spillover effect and the indirect effect is greater than the direct effect. However, the spillover effect coefficient is 0.007, which is still at a relatively low level, and the diffusion effect generated by factor flow still needs to be strengthened. Efforts to boost integrated forestry industry development will broaden the income channels of forest farmers by leveraging high productivity of the agglomeration effects, diffusion effect and demonstration effect, strengthening regional communication and cooperation, and promoting integrated forestry industry development with adjacent regions. This study helps to correctly grasp the relationship between forestry industry integration and farmers’ income, and provides decision-making reference for local governments to formulate policies for increasing farmers’ income in the development of forestry industry integration based on actual situations.

The integration of the forestry industry can effectively resolve the conflict between ecological protection and socioeconomic development while bringing new vitality and growth to traditional forestry. In this study, the level of forestry industry integration in 31 provinces in China from 2005 to 2019 was measured using the Herfindahl index method. With ArcGIS and exploratory spatial data analysis methods, the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics, dynamic change trends, spatial correlation characteristics, and existing problems in China’s forestry industry integration development were analyzed. The results showed that the total output value of forestry integrated products and the output value of each product segment increased, but the proportion of product development was imbalanced, and it was concentrated in the understory planting and collection industry and wood processing and manufacturing industry, leaving substantial room for improvement and integration. The value of the forestry industry integration index also increased overall, but the level of integration was low or moderate. In terms of time, the integration index of most provinces trended upward but failed to break through 0.73, leaving a significant gap between it and deep integration. Spatially, the level of integration of the forestry industry varied across the northeast, central, west, and east, with the central and northeast showing a higher integration degree than the east and west. China’s forestry industry integration showed a significant positive spatial correlation, indicating that spatial factors had become an important factor affecting the development of the forestry industry in various regions. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the relevant mechanisms of cross-border cooperation and benefit sharing. Lastly, we identified problems with the integration development of the forestry industry, including insufficient and imbalanced integration, unreasonable structural layout of integration development, and insufficient driving capacity for integration. As a result, there were phased and regional differences in the evolution of forestry industry integration.