With increasing emphasis on ecological conservation and food security, cultivated land issues have become more prominent. This study focuses on Jilin Province and uses nine prefecture-level administrative units and prefectures as the basic analytical units. Using continuous data for 2000–2023, this study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land use efficiency (CLUE). By 2023, most regions had achieved ecological safety (ES), examined through their coupling and coordination. The Super-Efficiency SBM-DEA model and the Malmquist–Luenberger (ML) index were used to evaluate the static and dynamic changes in CLUE. A DPSIR–PLS-SEM integrated framework was applied to identify causal mechanisms influencing ES, while the TOPSIS method was employed to assess overall evolutionary trends. In addition, the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model combined with kernel density estimation (KDE) was used to characterize the interaction between CLUE and ES and their spatial evolution. Results indicated the following: (1) From 2000 to 2023, overall CLUE in Jilin Province showed an upward trend with fluctuations, while regional disparities narrowed and spatial distribution became more balanced. (2) The composite ES index increased from 0.3009 to 0.7900, accompanied by a marked expansion of areas classified as secure. (3) The CCD improved from a basic level to a high-quality coordination level, indicating enhanced synergistic development. Higher coordination was observed in central and eastern regions, whereas western and peripheral areas lagged. This study integrates multi-dimensional modeling approaches to systematically assess the coupled dynamics on cultivated land use efficiency and ecological safety, providing insights for land management and policy formulation.

Cultivated land multifunctionality plays an important role in balancing food security, rural development, and ecological sustainability. However, existing studies often remain fragmented, with limited integration of long-term functional evolution, interfunctional relationships, coordination, and governance-oriented zoning. Using multi-source data from 2000 to 2024, this study examined the spatiotemporal evolution, synergy–trade-off relationships, coupling coordination, spatial associations, and functional zoning of cultivated land production, social, ecological, and landscape functions in Northeast China. The results show pronounced temporal fluctuations and spatial differentiation. Landscape function maintained the highest overall level, with a mean of approximately 0.82, while ecological function remained relatively high and stable. Production function fluctuated over time, whereas social function increased markedly in 2020 before declining slightly in 2024. Synergies dominated among production, ecological, and landscape functions, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.54 to 0.97, while social function remained weakly associated with the other functions (r < 0.22). The coupling coordination degree ranged from 0.639 to 0.665, indicating a moderate but relatively stable coordination level with clear regional differences. Functional zoning identified single-function-dominated, dual-function composite, multifunctional composite, and characteristic agricultural zones, accounting for 53.44%, 21.30%, 8.94%, and 16.33% of cultivated land, respectively. These findings provide a basis for shifting cultivated land management from uniform regulation toward differentiated governance that better coordinates agricultural production, ecological protection, and rural development.