Agricultural production agglomeration and total factor carbon productivity: based on NDDF–MML index analysis

Abstract

PurposeAgricultural carbon productivity considers the dual goals of “agricultural economic growth” and “carbon emission reduction”. Improving agricultural carbon productivity is a requirement for promoting green and low-carbon development of agriculture. Agricultural production agglomeration is widespread worldwide, but the relationship between agricultural production agglomeration and agricultural carbon productivity is inconclusive. This paper aims to study the impact of agricultural production agglomeration on agricultural carbon productivity, which is conducive to a better understanding of the relationships among agglomeration, agricultural economic development and carbon emission, better planning of agricultural layout to build a modern agricultural industrial system and achieve the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.Design/methodology/approachBased on China's provincial data from 1991 to 2019, this paper uses non-radial directional distance function (NDDF) and Metafrontier Malmquist–Luenberger (MML) productivity index to measure total factor agricultural carbon productivity. Subsequently, using a panel two-way fixed effect model to study the effect and mechanism of agricultural production agglomeration on agricultural carbon productivity, and the two-stage least squares method (IV-2SLS) is used to solve endogeneity. Finally, this paper formulates a moderating effect model from the perspective of the efficiency of agricultural material capital inputs.FindingsThe empirical results identify that Chinese provincial agricultural carbon productivity has an overall growth trend and agricultural technological progress is the major source of growth. There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between agricultural production agglomeration and agricultural carbon productivity. The input efficiency of agricultural film, machine and water resources have moderating effects on the inverted U-shaped relationship. Agricultural production agglomeration also promotes agricultural carbon productivity by inhibiting agricultural carbon emissions in addition to affecting agricultural input factors and its internal mechanisms are agricultural green technology progress and rural human capital improvement.Originality/valueThis paper innovatively adopts the NDDF–MML method to measure the total factor agricultural carbon productivity more scientifically and accurately and solves the problems of ignoring group heterogeneity and the shortcomings of traditional productivity measurement in previous studies. This paper also explains the inverted U-shaped relationship between agricultural production agglomeration and agricultural carbon productivity theoretically and empirically. Furthermore, from the perspective of agricultural material capital input efficiency, this paper discusses the moderating effect of input efficiency of fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural film, agricultural machines and water resources on agricultural production agglomeration affecting agricultural carbon productivity and answers the mechanism of carbon emission reduction of agricultural production agglomeration.

Carbon Emissions from Agricultural Inputs in China over the Past Three Decades

“…Total area of planting × 100% Disasters will reduce yields, and then reduce agricultural output and increase the carbon emission intensity [48].…”

Strengthen or weaken? Research on the influence of internet use on agricultural green production efficiency

“…This study believes that Internet use mainly affects agricultural green production efficiency in two ways. The first way mainly plays a role in the progress of agricultural technology (Tao et al, 2016;Chi et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2022). Economist Kuznets explained on economic growth that the economic growth of a country is inseparable from advanced technology and the corresponding ideology.…”

“…On the other hand, some scholars conclude that the promoting effect of Internet use on agricultural green production efficiency mainly comes from the progress of agricultural technology (Chi et al, 2021;Tao et al, 2016). Liu et al (2022) pointed out that agricultural green production efficiency's main growth driver was agricultural technical progress. Mario et al (2014) also pointed out that the main role of Internet use in affecting agricultural production efficiency is to promote the progress of agricultural technology while reducing the efficiency of agricultural technology.…”

“…Mario et al (2014) also pointed out that the main role of Internet use in affecting agricultural production efficiency is to promote the progress of agricultural technology while reducing the efficiency of agricultural technology. Some studies have also pointed out that Internet use has a significant promoting effect on green production efficiency in the short term, but in the long run, the impact of Internet use on green production efficiency has a nonlinear relationship (Liu et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2022;Wu and Zhang, 2020;Zhou et al, 2019). As Hu et al (2020) pointed out in their study, China's agricultural total factor productivity has undergone three stages, accelerated growth, negative growth, and fluctuation.…”

Guest editorial: Agricultural and rural development under the goal of carbon neutrality

“…The special issue includes two papers on technology progress which is essential to resolve the conflict between decarbonization and agricultural development. Liu et al (2022) use a novel index to measure the total factor agricultural carbon productivity. It is then applied to test the inverted U-shaped relationship between agricultural production agglomeration and agricultural carbon productivity theoretically and empirically.…”