China is the largest carbon emitter in the world, with agricultural carbon emissions accounting for 17% of China’s total carbon emissions. Agricultural carbon emission reduction has become the key to achieving the “Double Carbon” goal. At the same time, the role of the digital economy in achieving the “dual carbon” goal cannot be ignored as an important engine to boost the high-quality development of China’s economy. Therefore, this paper uses the panel data of 30 provinces in mainland China from 2011 to 2019 to construct a spatial Durbin model and a mediation effect model to explore the impact of the digital economy on agricultural carbon intensity and the mediating role of agricultural technological progress. The research results show that: (1) China’s agricultural carbon intensity fluctuated and declined during the study period, but the current agricultural carbon intensity is still at a high level; (2) The inhibitory effect of the digital economy on agricultural carbon intensity is achieved by promoting agricultural technological progress, and the intermediary role of agricultural technological progress has been verified; (3) The digital economy can significantly reduce the carbon intensity of agriculture, and this inhibition has a positive spatial spillover effect. According to the research conclusions, the government should speed up the development of internet technology and digital inclusive finance, support agricultural technology research and improve farmers’ human capital, and strengthen regional cooperation to release the contribution of digital economy space.

Recycle behavior of agricultural film (RBAF) plays an important role in protecting the ecological environment of farmland. Improving RBAF has become an urgent choice for agricultural countries to achieve sustainable development. Construction of high-standard farmland (CHSF) is defined as the artificial improvement of farmland facilities and considered beneficial to agricultural production and farmland environment. This study aims to evaluate the role of CHSF in improving RBAF. Based on survey data of rural areas in Sichuan, China, this study explores quantitative impacts of CHSF on RBAF by econometric model. The results are as follows: (1) There is a positive impact of CHSF on RBAF, i.e., compared with the farmers not participating in CHSF, the possibility of RBAF for the farmers participating in CHSF is increased by 16%. (2) For every 1% increase in the proportion of agricultural labor force in households, the possibility of RBAF is increased by 0.2%. Thus, this study indicates that governments should focus on improving rural infrastructure to help farmers improve their behavior towards environmental protection.

The topic of quality of life has long been a focus of global research and the public. The land transfer policy implemented by the Chinese government affects farmers’ quality of life (FQOL); however, the extent of this effect remains unclear. As land transfer may be a self-selection behaviour, it may be subject to selection bias such that traditional measurement methods are unable to effectively estimate its quantitative impact. This study used data from a questionnaire given to 5668 rural households in 25 provinces of mainland China. It sought to quantify the impact of land transfer on FQOL by using endogenous switching regression (ESR) models to correct selection bias. The results show: (1) for farmers who choose to transfer land, if they choose not to transfer land, FQOL may decrease by 64.11%; (2) for farmers who choose not to transfer their land, if they go on to choose to transfer their land, FQOL may increase by 0.75%; (3) land transfer can improve the quality of life of the older generation of farmers but will reduce the quality of life of the newer generation. The results of this study provide research support for China and other countries seeking to effectively implement land policies and improve the FQOL, helping to provide practical strategies for the sustainable development of rural areas.