Development of Ecological Low-Carbon Agriculture with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era: Features, Practical Issues, and Pathways

Abstract

Agriculture is not only the source of carbon emissions, but also an important carbon sink. The development of low-carbon agriculture in China is closely related to achieving the national strategic goal of “dual carbon.” Reducing carbon emissions in China’s agricultural sector and accelerating the development of ecological low-carbon agriculture (ELA) are extremely important and urgent, both from the perspective of the long-term common welfare for mankind and from the perspective of maintaining the sustainable development of agriculture itself. However, ELA is still an emerging concept in China, and its connotation and characteristics are not yet clear. There is a lack of effective paths for orderly and scientific promotion of the development of ELA in China. Based on this, this paper focuses on the emerging concept of ELA and examines ELA with Chinese characteristics from the dimensions of connotation, features, practical issues, and pathways, aiming to provide guidance for the sustainable development of ELA in China. The research results indicate that there are regional development imbalances, low willingness of farmers to participate, insufficient technological reserves, and difficulties in realizing the value of ecological products in China’s ELA. It is necessary to improve the modern agricultural production and operation system, tap into the potential of agricultural emission reduction and carbon sequestration, build a technical system to support the development of ELA, and establish a sound mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products. By continuously improving the regional organizational capacity and performance of ELA, accelerating the advancement of ELA technology and demonstrating its regional promotion, and by establishing and continuously improving the support system for ELA, one can promote the sustainable development of ELA in China. In addition, the research findings of this paper can also provide reference for the ecological low-carbon development of the global agricultural sector, supporting the contribution of the agricultural sector to achieving high-quality global sustainable development goals.

1. Introduction

In recent years, under the background of global warming, environmental degradation and energy shortages have become global ecological and environmental problems. The environmental disasters caused by global warming have changed the production, living, and consumption patterns of human society, raising concerns about reducing pollution and resource waste. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development has established some international rules for this purpose. The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) officially proposed a sustainable development strategy in its report “Our Common Future” published in 1987 [1]. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Agenda 21 were proposed at the Environmental Development Conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 [2]. On 25 September 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit was held in New York, officially adopting 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) aimed at comprehensively addressing development issues in the social, economic, and environmental dimensions from 2015 to 2030, and shifting towards the path of sustainable development [3]. With the continuous improvement of global carbon emission requirements, the development of green and low-carbon measures is deepening. China has actively responded to a series of major development strategies and made significant contributions to global green energy and low-carbon development. In 2007, China set a goal of saving 20% energy within five years [4]. In 2020, China proposed the strategic goal of “peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060” (i.e., the “dual carbon” goal) [5].

Due to the rapid development of global chemical agriculture, petroleum agriculture, and mechanical agriculture, the consumption of fossil fuels in agriculture continues to increase, and the resulting large-scale carbon emissions have become an important weighting factor causing global climate change. According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing, accounting for over 17% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions and becoming the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions [6]. It is expected that by 2050, global food demand caused by population growth will increase by 60% to 110% [7], and, in this context, the increase in agricultural carbon emissions will continue to intensify [8]; for example, the annual increase in nitrogen fertilizer input in agricultural production alone will lead to an additional 3 billion tons of CO₂ emissions per year [9], which will further exacerbate the global ecological crisis [10].

Greenhouse gas emissions have led to global climate change and extreme weather problems, with high incidence of natural disasters in agriculture and increased harm from crop pests and diseases. This has already seriously threatened the sustainability of global agricultural development, and the future development of agriculture will become even more severe as a result. In 2009, China had become the country with the highest total global greenhouse gas emissions at that time, giving rise to the rapid development of carbon sequestration technology. Carbon sequestration technology, which refers to the replacement of direct CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere with the capture and safe storage of carbon [11], began in 1977 and has rapidly developed in recent years [12,13]. The agricultural sector can achieve carbon sequestration through technologies such as soil carbon sequestration [14], comprehensive energy utilization [15], and multi-level integrated aquaculture [16] to reduce carbon emissions in the agricultural sector [17,18]. However, if the above-mentioned agricultural related technologies are not effectively applied, China’s crop production capacity will decrease by 5% to 10% by the end of 2030 [19]. From this perspective, it can be seen that accelerating the development of China’s ecological low-carbon agriculture (ELA) is an extremely important and urgent major issue, whether it is from the perspective of long-term common human welfare or from the perspective of maintaining sustainable development of agriculture itself.

In the Copenhagen World Climate Change Conference held at the end of 2009, China promised to reduce CO₂ emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by 40% to 45% by 2020 compared with 2005. Effective carbon reduction in the agricultural sector has also become an important part of China’s commitment to achieve the solemn commitments made at the Copenhagen Conference [20]. China has solved the food problem for nearly 20% of the world’s population using 9% of the world’s arable land and 6% of its freshwater resources, making significant contributions to global food security [21]. However, the stable production and supply of grain in China have long relied on an increase in input of production factors, especially a large amount of inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, which has caused a series of ecological problems [22]. The 2022 Central Rural Work Conference further emphasized the need to accelerate the construction of an agricultural power and develop ELA. As one of the “Chinese characteristics” of building an agricultural power, the proposal of developing ELA not only points out the direction for building an agricultural power, but also deepens a Chinese path to modernization in the agricultural field.

Although the Chinese government spares no effort in encouraging the development of ELA and promoting the green transformation of agricultural production methods, the results, in practice, do not give reason for optimism. The increasing imbalance in the development of ecological agriculture among regions and the insufficient willingness of small farmers to participate are the main problems in the current development of low-carbon agriculture in China [23]. The reasons behind this are that China’s climate conditions and agricultural production forms are diverse, and there are significant differences in cultivation systems and varieties. There is also a significant gap in the level of agricultural mechanization and technological development, and the uneven development of agricultural regions is evident. The complex national and agricultural conditions determine the long-term, complex, and diverse characteristics of China’s characteristic ELA. For example, the carbon effect in agricultural production comes from various production processes such as cultivation, irrigation, fertilization, pesticide application, use of agricultural film, use of agricultural machinery, treatment of straw, livestock and poultry breeding, treatment of livestock and poultry manure, and disease prevention and control. The diverse and complex features of national and agricultural conditions make it necessary for many regions in China to find special ways to achieve low-carbon and ecological development in each link of the process of developing ELA.

From existing literature, discussions on ecological agriculture and low-carbon agriculture are mostly based on their respective perspectives, while comprehensive research on ELA is relatively scarce. In the field of ecological agriculture, scholars have emphasized its multiple connotations, including safety awareness based on bottom line thinking, innovative concept guidance, green transformation of production methods, health orientation of agricultural ecological products, and the guiding significance of production scenario standards [24]. Although China’s ecological agriculture practice has achieved significant results since its reform and opening up [25,26], it still faces challenges such as lagging theoretical research, insufficient technical support, brand building, and market expansion [27,28]. In terms of low-carbon agriculture, Zhao Qiguo et al. [29] defined it from the perspective of input–output, believing that it is an agricultural development model that achieves higher returns with less agricultural inputs and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve the “dual carbon” goal, China’s development of low-carbon agriculture needs to abandon the blind pursuit of organic agriculture and the practice of relying on small farmers to independently undertake carbon reduction responsibilities [30]. At the same time, problems such as excessive investment in agricultural materials, severe agricultural pollution, and low agricultural production efficiency should be addressed [31].

Based on existing analysis, the academic community has conducted in-depth discussions on the core concepts, basic prerequisites, as well as the difficulties and challenges faced by “ecological agriculture” and “low-carbon agriculture.” However, in pursuit of the goal of building a strong agricultural country and moving towards the “dual carbon” goal, the development connotation of China’s ELA is far from a simple combination of “ecological agriculture” and “low-carbon agriculture.” In the development journey of the new era, the risks and challenges faced by ELA exhibit more complex and diverse features.

Therefore, based on China’s special national conditions and relevant policies for the development of agriculture, this paper explores and proposes the connotation and main features of China’s characteristic ELA development model, analyzes the current reality and difficulties of China’s characteristic ELA development, and proposes the construction path and policy suggestions for the development of China’s ELA in the new era. The research aims to comprehensively and systematically answer “what is ELA” and “what difficulties does the development of ELA face?” as well as to determine “ways to develop low-carbon ecological agriculture” (3W). By this, it can provide guidance for the sustainable development of ELA in China, and also serves as a reference for the ecological low-carbon development of global agriculture, helping to achieve global SDGs.

The rest of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 explores the connotation and characteristics of ELA with Chinese characteristics. Section 3 analyzes the practical basis and dilemma for the development of Chinese characteristic ELA. Section 4 proposes the goals, paths, and key tasks for the development of China’s ELA in the new era. Finally, Section 5 summarizes the paper and puts forward policy recommendations.

2. Connotation and Features of ELA in China

ELA is still an emerging concept in China. Section 2 analyzes the connotation and main characteristics of ELA with Chinese characteristics, aiming to solve the fundamental problem of “what is ecological low-carbon agriculture,” so as to provide boundary conditions for the development of ELA in China.

2.1. The Connotation of ELA with Chinese Characteristics

Although there are many concepts such as “circular agriculture,” “ecological agriculture,” “ecological intensive agriculture,” “circular agriculture,” and “low-carbon agriculture,” these are intertwined in both connotation and extension (as shown in Figure 1). In line with the above concepts, the evolution of ELA is gradual, and its connotation is constantly expanding. The concept of “ecological agriculture,” first proposed by William Albrecht, emphasizes that it can be ecologically self-sustaining, economically sustainable, and is beneficial for the long-term development of humanity in terms of ethics, morality, and aesthetics [32]. The “ecological intensive agriculture” proposed by Maston takes “low emissions” as the basic characteristic of this type of agriculture [33]. Tilman pointed out that the development of agriculture relies on a more effective and full utilization of nutrients in farmland to reduce the negative effects of cultivation on the ecological environment [34]. On this basis, Drinkwater et al. proposed the concept of “circular agriculture,” aimed at encouraging agricultural producers to continuously improve soil quality, comprehensively regulate water and fertilizer resources, and enhance the multi-level recycling of various nutrients in the soil, in order to tap the ecological potential of crops [35] and minimize the dependence of agricultural production activities on external inputs, such as pesticides and fertilizers, in order to achieve a balance between ecology and economy [36]. “Low carbon agriculture” refers to agriculture that combines the characteristics of low emissions, low energy consumption, and high efficiency [37]. It explicitly takes “carbon” as the basic indicator and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire process of agriculture from pre-production to mid-production to post-production [38]. Through low-carbon production methods and lifestyles, it achieves “low-carbon input and output” in agriculture [39], achieving energy conservation and emission reduction in agriculture, and increasing income and wealth for farmers.

In recent years, Chinese scholars have mostly discussed the future of agriculture from the perspective of combining “ecology” and “low carbon,” and the ecological functions of agriculture have received unprecedented attention. Su et al. believes that the main development mode of “low-carbon agriculture” is to establish an agricultural ecosystem oriented towards “low carbon,” ultimately achieving the goal of improving the environment and sustainable development [40]. The “ecological high-value agriculture” proposed by Yang P takes ensuring ecological environmental friendliness as the basic prerequisite for agricultural development. Reducing carbon emissions, increasing carbon sinks, and continuously improving industrialization levels are the main means by which to achieve high-value ecological agriculture [41]. Wang S and Shi S proposed that the development of ecological agriculture in China should be guided by the principles of agricultural ecology and the methodology of systems science [42]. It can be seen that future agriculture should not only have the basic functions of high carbon sequestration and low emissions, but also have the features of integrating ecological benefits with China’s complex economic and social development reality and should be continuously improving.

Based on the above description and analysis of ecology and low carbon in the agricultural field, the “Chinese characteristic ELA” we are exploring should have the following connotations. On the basis of ensuring national food security and meeting people’s demand for agricultural products, a series of policy measures and technologies are implemented to fully utilize and continuously improve the carbon sequestration function and ecological benefits of agricultural ecology [43], thereby effectively addressing major environmental issues such as global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The connotation of ELA can be understood from two dimensions: goals and processes. From the perspective of goals, the fundamental goal of ELA is to achieve resource conservation and environmental protection and to maintain the natural landscape of green mountains and clear waters. However, as a component of building an agricultural power with Chinese characteristics, the development of ELA must be coordinated with other goals of building an agricultural power, such as ensuring supply security and promoting common prosperity. Therefore, when developing ELA, China should not only focus on reducing emissions and carbon sequestration, protecting and improving the agricultural ecological environment, reducing natural resource consumption and pollution, but also improve agricultural production efficiency and economic benefits. From a process perspective, the development of ELA needs to fully consider the existing conditions of arable land, fresh water and other resources; scientifically use agricultural inputs; achieve the recycling of agricultural waste; clean the production environment; and form a new pattern of agricultural development that matches the carrying capacity of resources and the environment, and coordinates production and life. In summary, the development of ELA aims to simultaneously enhance ecological, social, and economic benefits, with the core of alleviating resource and environmental constraints, improving the agricultural ecological environment, and enhancing emission reduction and carbon sequestration capabilities, thereby achieving a deep transformation of traditional agricultural production methods.

2.2. Main Characteristics of ELA with Chinese Characteristics

The development of ELA with Chinese characteristics is the result of absorbing and drawing on international experience, and adapting to local conditions through absorption, transformation, and creation. Therefore, the main features of China’s ELA will inevitably combine the features of general ELA and the features of China’s characteristic agriculture, specifically manifested as follows:

(1)

Intensification of agricultural resource utilization

As the world’s largest developing country, China faces the challenges of a large population, limited land resources, and rapid economic and social development. Therefore, meeting the growing demand for agricultural products from the people remains the primary task of agricultural development. At present, the high consumption of resources by China’s agricultural management methods has not been fundamentally changed [44]. In this context, the development of ELA highlights its dependence on agricultural technological progress, aiming to achieve the protection and efficient utilization of agricultural resources, thereby ensuring national food security, ecological environment security, nutritional health security, and national stability [45]. Specifically, the first of these is to improve the quality standards of cultivated land. The high input and overload mode of traditional Chinese agriculture has led to problems such as shallow soil cultivation, acidification, and salinization. To address these challenges, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of farmland quality, improve the basic soil fertility level of farmland, and increase the organic matter content of farmland soil. The second is to improve the efficiency of water resource utilization. In agricultural production, water resources are mainly used for irrigation, and the extensive and inefficient use of irrigation water in China for a long time has led to the leaching of fertilizers and runoff losses, seriously damaging the agricultural ecosystem. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate water-saving and drought resistant varieties, promote water-saving technologies such as integrated water and fertilizer, rainwater harvesting and supplementary irrigation, strengthen scientific irrigation and drought resistance technology guidance, and improve water resource utilization efficiency. In summary, China’s characteristic ELA should be committed to continuously improving the intensive utilization capacity of agricultural resources, reducing external energy input, improving soil productivity and crop yield, and ultimately achieving the sustainability of agricultural ecological environment, agricultural production process, and agricultural product supply.

(2)

Reduction of agricultural inputs

The excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides in Chinese agriculture has led to serious non-point source pollution problems. In terms of fertilizers, China’s fertilization level has significantly exceeded the environmental safety threshold recognized by developed countries [46], leading to a large amount of fertilizers being lost to the environment through various channels and causing serious pollution to the ecological environment. In terms of pesticide use, China’s agricultural production generally faces situations of overuse and low efficiency [47]. A large amount of pesticides directly enter the environment, causing serious pollution to water bodies, atmosphere, and soil. In order to address these challenges, the development of ELA urgently needs the promotion of new fertilization technologies, new fertilizer products, and advanced application equipment, while promoting green prevention and specialized unified prevention and the control of diseases and pests. This can be achieved by reducing source inputs and improving utilization efficiency, optimizing the agricultural production environment, and achieving sustainable agricultural production.

(3)

Ecological transformation of industrial models

Due to its diverse climate conditions and agricultural production forms, as well as significant differences in cultivation systems and varieties, the uneven level of agricultural mechanization and technological development, and the imbalance in regional agricultural development, China’s complex national conditions and agricultural factors have jointly shaped a diversified industrial model of ELA with Chinese characteristics. The ecological industrial model emphasizes the integration of green development concepts via various links, such as agricultural production, processing, and circulation, and the ecological transformation of traditional agricultural production methods, industrial structures, and circulation forms. It establishes an efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly agricultural production system, aiming to simultaneously improve economic, social, and ecological benefits. This model places greater emphasis on the harmonious coexistence between agricultural production and the natural environment, emphasizing resource recycling and ecological balance. Therefore, the development of ELA requires the implementation of green planting and green breeding and the promotion of circular agriculture that combines planting and breeding; the transformation of the rural secondary industry and promotion of the green transformation of agricultural product processing industry; the construction of ecological industrial parks and development of a rural tourism industry to achieve the organic unity of industrial prosperity, people’s prosperity, and ecological beauty.

(4)

Greenhouse gas reduction

As a key source of greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture’s efforts in reducing and fixing carbon emissions are crucial for achieving the goal of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, as well as addressing climate change. The greenhouse gases generated by agricultural activities include mainly carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). These gases come mainly from the combustion of fossil fuels in agricultural production, intestinal fermentation of ruminants, and anaerobic fermentation during livestock and poultry manure treatment [48]. China’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions account for approximately 17% of the country’s total emissions. Therefore, the pursuit of reducing emissions and increasing carbon sinks in agriculture is of significant importance in achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, as well as promoting sustainable agricultural development. The development of ELA with Chinese characteristics not only emphasizes the maximum reduction of agricultural carbon emissions, but also focuses on enhancing the carbon sequestration effect of crops through their ecological functions. Therefore, the development of ELA requires reducing the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions, such as by promoting low-carbon and energy-saving agricultural machinery equipment, promoting renewable energy substitution for agricultural production, reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and reducing methane emissions from ruminant animals through improved varieties and feeding technologies. Additionally, technologies such as biogas fermentation and manure and urine separation are used to enhance the resource utilization level of livestock and poultry manure, reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions. On the other hand, emphasis is placed on improving the carbon sequestration capacity of farmland soils, such as by continuously promoting the construction of high quality farmland and accelerating the management of degraded farmland, enhancing the organic matter content of farmland soils, and promoting the expansion of carbon sequestration capacity in farmland.

(5)

Resource utilization of agricultural waste

Under the development framework of ELA, the treatment and resource utilization of agricultural waste has become an objective requirement. Agricultural waste comes from a wide range of sources, including crop straw, livestock manure, aquaculture wastewater, etc. Improper disposal of these wastes can cause serious environmental pollution. For example, the incineration of crop straw can release a large amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and even cause haze. If harmful substances in animal manure enter surface water or groundwater, it will lead to eutrophication of the water body, an increase in suspended solids, and a disruption of the acid–base balance of the water body. Therefore, the development of ELA emphasizes promoting the fertilization, feed conversion, energy conversion, base material conversion, and raw material utilization of straw according to regional characteristics; constructing facilities for the collection and treatment of livestock and poultry manure and the return of manure to the field; promoting ecological and healthy breeding models; and transforming agricultural waste into renewable resources through terminal governance and recycling, achieving environmental sustainability. The resource utilization processes of agricultural waste in ELA are listed in Figure 2.

2.3. Differences in Chinese ELA from the International Perspective

From an international perspective, China’s characteristic ecological low-carbon agriculture also presents certain differences:

(1)

Development philosophy and goals

Chinese ELA emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature on the basis of traditional agricultural civilization, combined with modern technology and management methods. The Chinese government is committed to combining ELA with rural revitalization strategy through subsidies, tax incentives, technology promotion, and education and training measures, promoting agricultural modernization and green development. Comparatively, other countries may focus more on reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment and improving biodiversity in ecological low-carbon agriculture. For example, in the European Union, ecological agriculture policies emphasize biodiversity conservation, soil health, and reducing fertilizer use. In the United States, agricultural policies focus more on supporting large-scale farms and agricultural industrialization, and encourage private sector investment and market driven measures.

(2)

Technology application and development model

China has taken various measures to implement ELA, such as reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, improving the recycling and utilization of agricultural waste, using straw for agriculture, and promoting an ecological farm model that combines planting and breeding. In addition, China is increasingly emphasizing big data, intelligent agriculture, and precision agriculture technologies in technological applications, utilizing advanced technologies to optimize resource allocation, improve production efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions. In terms of development models, China often combines traditional agricultural practices with modern technology to promote ELA, and develops various models such as integrated farming, soil and water conservation, and circular agriculture. Comparatively, other countries are also adopting high-tech means, but sometimes pay more attention to the overall health of ecosystems and localized solutions. For example, some European countries may focus more on promoting organic and ecological agriculture, while some African countries may focus on improving irrigation systems and promoting drought-tolerant crops. In terms of development models, other international ELA models place more emphasis on sustainable practices such as pesticide free agriculture and returning to natural planting methods. For example, Denmark’s ecological agriculture model emphasizes organic farming and animal welfare, and the ecological agriculture model in Brazil focuses on protecting and restoring tropical rainforests.

(3)

Social culture and marketization

In terms of social cultural, the practice of ELA with Chinese characteristics is influenced by traditional culture, family farms, and collective economy. The promotion of ELA usually needs to take into account the actual situation of farmers and local characteristics. In other countries, ecological agriculture often incorporates more modern environmental protection and sustainable development concepts. For example, Japan emphasizes traditional organic agriculture practices and the protection of the local environment, while European countries such as Germany and France value the close integration of ecological agriculture and agricultural product markets. In terms of marketization, Chinese ELA is gradually improving, but it still faces the problem of imperfect market mechanisms. The government usually promotes the development of ELA through subsidies and policy support, and is also actively promoting market-oriented reforms, such as establishing the ELA product certification system. European countries, such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, have relatively mature market mechanisms. By establishing sound market systems and certification standards (such as organic certification), they encourage producers to adopt eco-friendly agricultural practices and bring their products to the market.

3. The Foundation and Dilemma for Developing Chinese ELA

On the basis of clarifying the connotation and characteristics of ELA, Section 3 further analyzes the foundation and dilemma for developing ELA in China, aiming to provide a reference for proposing targeted development paths of ELA with Chinese characteristics.

3.1. Development Foundation

(1)

Continuous improvement of policy support system

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government has established, and seeks to continuously improve, a policy support system to promote the development of ELA, including strengthening the improvement of the agricultural green technology innovation system, such as by promoting agricultural green technology innovation and accelerating the promotion of green technology. In terms of the protection and utilization of agricultural resources, the government has taken measures to strengthen the protection and quality construction of arable land, improve the efficiency of water resource utilization, and protect agricultural biological resources. In the prevention and control of agricultural non-point source pollution, the government has promoted the reduction and efficiency increase of fertilizers and pesticides, promoted the resource utilization of animal manure and straw, and strengthened the control of white pollution such as plastic film. In addition, China has also formulated multiple laws and regulations, such as the Environmental Protection Law, the Soil and Water Conservation Law, and the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law, elevating the prevention and control of key areas such as water and soil pollution to the legislative level, providing a solid legal guarantee and institutional foundation for the development of ELA.

(2)

Continuous improvement of agricultural resource utilization efficiency

Realizing the intensification of agricultural resource utilization, especially strengthening the protection of arable land resources and the efficient utilization of water resources, has profound significance for the development of ELA. China has made significant progress in protecting and improving the quality of arable land. In 2019, the average level of arable land quality in China reached 4.76, an increase of 0.35 from 2014. Among them, the proportion of first-class to third-class high-quality arable land increased by 3.94% compared with 2014. The Northeast Black Soil Conservation and Utilization Report (2022) [49] shows that the northeast region has achieved significant results in black soil conservation. From 2020 to 2022, the implementation area of conservation tillage increased from 3.07 million hectares to 5.53 million hectares. In terms of the development of water-saving agriculture, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, from 2019 to 2022, the total efficient water-saving irrigation area in China has increased by about 6.53 million hectares, and the total effective irrigation area has reached 69.6 million hectares; The effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water has increased from 0.516 in 2012 to 0.572 in 2022, marking a significant breakthrough in China’s agricultural water efficiency. These achievements reflect China’s efforts in protecting arable land and conserving water resources, laying a solid foundation for the development of ELA.

(3)

Continuous strengthening of reducing agricultural inputs and increasing efficiency

An important feature of ELA is to reduce the use of agricultural inputs. Since 2015, China has launched the “Zero Growth Action for Fertilizer and Pesticide Use by 2020”, and the implementation of this action has achieved significant results. The use of fertilizers has decreased from 60.226 million tons in 2015 to 50.792 million tons in 2022, and the use of pesticides has also shown a decreasing trend year by year, successfully achieving the goal of zero growth in fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, China is committed to promoting scientific fertilization technology, new fertilizers, and green prevention and control technologies for crop diseases and pests, steadily improving the utilization rate of fertilizers and pesticides. In 2022, 22 million hectares of corn seed fertilizer co-planting, 7.33 million hectares of wheat mechanical deep fertilization, and 1.47 million hectares of rice lateral deep fertilization were promoted nationwide. The application area of new fertilizers reached 11.33 million hectares, and the coverage rate of soil testing and formula fertilization technology remained above 90%, with fertilizer utilization rate exceeding 41%. The green prevention and control coverage rate of pests and diseases in major crops reached 52%, and the utilization rate of pesticides also exceeded 41% [50]. These achievements reflect China’s significant progress in reducing the use of agricultural inputs and improving resource utilization efficiency.

(4)

Steady promotion of ecological development of industrial models

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has made continuous progress in the development of industrial ecology. In November 2018, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs jointly released the Action Plan for the Battle of Agricultural and Rural Pollution Control. The plan proposed specific deployments and requirements for the ecological transformation of planting industry models, such as reducing and increasing the efficiency of fertilizers and pesticides, and utilizing straw and agricultural film waste resources. At the same time, clear regulations have been put forward for the standardized production and use of veterinary drugs and feed additives, as well as the prohibition of enterprises from illegally using antibiotics and other ecological models in the aquaculture industry. With the continuous deepening of the ecological transformation of traditional agriculture, various industrial ecological development models have been explored in various parts of China. For example, Shandong province has innovated 10 ecological circular agriculture development models, including straw based material utilization and park-based leisure agriculture ecological circular development, promoting the high-quality development of ecological circular agriculture. As a pilot city for modern ecological circular agriculture, Pingliang in Gansu province has established a green ecological-oriented agricultural compensation system by cultivating the main body of ecological circular agriculture. It has also constructed a development model of “small circulation in the main body, circulation in the park, and large circulation in the county,” forming a county-level ecological low-carbon agricultural circular circle that covers the entire area and drives the surrounding areas. These practices demonstrate China’s active exploration and achievements in the development of ELA [51].

(5)

Continuous reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

China has achieved significant emissions reduction and carbon sequestration results by establishing and improving policies and technological systems for green and low-carbon transformation in agriculture. Firstly, carbon emission intensity has been effectively controlled. The data from the 2023 China Agriculture and Rural Low Carbon Development Report shows that, since 2003, the total carbon emissions caused by grain production in China have shown a stable or decreasing trend, and that the carbon emission intensity per unit yield of major crops such as grain, soybeans, potatoes, and sugarcane has also shown a decreasing trend. Secondly, new progress has been made in reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions. For example, some regions have innovatively established a new rice cultivation model that achieves high rice yield and methane reduction under straw-returning conditions, achieving a rice yield increase of 8.8% while promoting the reduction of methane emissions, with a reduction effect of 31.5% to 71.7%. In addition, water-saving and drought-resistant rice varieties have an annual planting area of over 200,000 hectares in Anhui, Hubei, Zhejiang, Hainan and other areas, significantly reducing methane emissions from rice fields by 90% to 95%. These achievements reflect China’s active efforts and significant achievements in achieving green and low-carbon transformation in the agricultural sector.

(6)

Gradual improvement of the utilization rate of agricultural waste resources

The three main sources of agricultural waste resources are straw, livestock manure, and agricultural film. In terms of scientific return and the efficient utilization of straw, and according to the National Report on Comprehensive Utilization of Crop Straw, the utilization of crop straw in China reached 647 million tons in 2021, with a comprehensive utilization rate of 88.1%, an increase of 3.4 percentage points from 2018 [50]. In terms of the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, the pollution emissions from China’s livestock and poultry breeding industry have been effectively controlled, and the situation of environmental degradation has been fundamentally improved. In 2022, the comprehensive utilization rate of livestock and poultry manure reached 78%, an increase of 28 percentage points from 2015. In terms of scientific practicality and recycling of plastic film, the recovery rate of agricultural film in China remained stable at over 80% in 2022, with a significant decrease in the total use of plastic film compared with 2015 [50]. These data indicate that China has achieved significant results in the utilization of agricultural waste resources, providing strong support for the development of ELA.

A series of important event nodes in the development process of ELA in China are shown in Figure 3.

3.2. Development Dilemma

(1)

Overall slow development speed and strong regional imbalance

From the perspective of regional development status, the current development speed of ELA is relatively slow and regional imbalance is strong. At present, China’s ELA has a large overall scale and relatively high scale efficiency. The ecological efficiency of China’s agriculture, which is oriented towards low-carbon development, is showing an upward trend in fluctuations. In some agricultural plains, there has been a phenomenon of simultaneous increase in output value and carbon emissions [52]. However, both comprehensive efficiency and pure technical efficiency are at a relatively low level, and the speed of efficiency improvement is slow [53]. Meanwhile, there are significant differences among the three major economic zones, with the eastern region having higher ecological efficiency in low-carbon agriculture and the central and western regions having lower ecological efficiency [54]. The provincial differences in development levels are also clear. Low carbon pilot areas have maintained a good net carbon sink effect, while non pilot areas have not shown detailed performance improvements. Moreover, there are significant differences in the low-carbon level of agriculture between regions, such as the total increase in agricultural carbon footprint in the four major plains of Poyang Lake, Songnen, Hetao, and Haihe Plain, which exacerbates the imbalance of ecological and economic benefits [55]. At the urban scale, the development level of China’s ELA shows a decreasing trend from the southwest northeast line to the southeast and northwest sides [56].

(2)

Low participation of farmers and insufficient implementation of income enhancement function

From international experience, ELA usually has significant technological and capital-intensive features. However, in the current agricultural production in China, decentralized management by farmers is still mainstream, and small farmers generally lack the ability to identify and effectively apply ecological low-carbon production technologies. At the same time, they also find it difficult to bear high-cost inputs [57]. In addition, the adoption of certain ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies may face higher initial costs and uncertain economic returns, as well as external environmental uncertainties and different risk preferences of farmers. These factors collectively affect the willingness and degree of adoption of ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies by farmers. When facing the choice of ecological low-carbon agricultural production behavior strategies, farmers usually consider these factors comprehensively and choose to wait to avoid potential high risks and uncertainties [58]. Therefore, the question of how to accelerate the adoption of ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies by farmers has become a key issue to be overcome in the modernization of agriculture and rural areas in China. Currently, only a portion of farmers have engaged in ELA, mainly through reducing carbon sources, and the proportion of low-carbon behaviors that increase sinks is relatively small. A considerable proportion of farmers’ low-carbon behaviors are behaviors without low-carbon awareness under traditional small-scale farming methods [59]. In addition, although these types of farmers can maintain good net carbon sink benefits, many farmers have not received the economic benefits corresponding to net carbon sink surplus or positive carbon sink value. Therefore, farmers lack confidence in controlling the market risks of low-carbon ecological management and obtaining considerable benefits, resulting in insufficient conversion rates from low-carbon intentions to low-carbon behaviors [60]. At the same time, the current adoption rate of single ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies with low risk and high efficiency by Chinese farmers is relatively high, while the adoption rate of composite ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies is relatively low. Ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies have not been widely promoted [61].

(3)

Insufficient technological reserves for developing ELA

Technological innovation is a key breakthrough in promoting the development of ELA. In recent years, China has gradually improved its green technology system for agricultural development, developed environmentally friendly and efficient fertilizers, energy-saving and low consumption intelligent agricultural equipment, and developed various green production technologies, providing solid technical support for the sustainable development of agriculture and rural economy. However, compared with developed countries, China still has a significant gap in ecological low-carbon agricultural technology reserves, and there is still much development space for the green transformation of inputs, technology models, and standard specifications in various stages of agriculture before, during, and after production. For example, although relevant departments have screened and released the top 10 technology models for reducing emissions and carbon sequestration in agriculture and rural areas, these models have not yet formed comprehensive technological solutions, so that, as a result, their practical applications have not been developed completely. In addition, China has many technological bottlenecks and shortcomings in agricultural green and low-carbon technology innovation, which need to be further addressed to promote the comprehensive development of ecological and low-carbon agriculture.

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The relevant systems for the development of ELA urgently need to be improved, and the value of ecological products is difficult to realize

At present, China has not formed a sound legal system suitable for the development of ELA, and the existing relevant laws and regulations have strong principles but lack specificity and operability. The support of fiscal policies for the development of ELA is insufficient, and the special subsidy system for the development of ELA has not been established. There is insufficient investment in research and development activities of ELA technology, ELA breeding projects, and related skill training [62]. The realization of the value of ecological products has important broad and far-reaching significance in enhancing the enthusiasm for ecological conservation and promoting the development of ELA. Although the value realization of ecological products has been actively promoted and practiced nationwide, the challenges they face, such as difficulty in quantifying value, mortgage, transaction, and monetization, have not been effectively resolved [63]. From the practice in different regions, the ecological product value realization models led by different entities all have their own problems. The government-led model heavily relies on fiscal funds, which may lead to issues such as low resource utilization efficiency and the tragedy of the commons [64]. The market-oriented model faces difficulties in building a long-term mechanism and the singularity of funding sources. However, social capital participation faces the challenge of long and unstable investment return cycles. These challenges hinder the explicit value of ecological products, which in turn affects the decisive role of price signals in balancing the supply and demand relationship of ecological products, resulting in a lack of effective incentive mechanisms for the development of ELA.

4. The Goals, Paths, and Tasks for the Development of ELA

Section 2 and Section 3 of this paper respectively analyze the characteristics and dilemma of China’s ELA development. Based on the research conclusions of the previous two sections, Section 4 further examines the goals, paths, and key tasks of China’s ELA development, which is a response to the characteristics and dilemma of China’s ELA. Finally, through the content of Section 2, Section 3 and Section 4, a complete system is formed, aiming to systematically and comprehensively answer the 3 issues of China’s ELA development, and provide guidance for the sustainable development of China’s ELA.

4.1. The Development Goals of ELA in China

The development of ecological and low-carbon agriculture with Chinese characteristics in the new era should be explored and promoted toward the overall goal of building an agricultural power and realizing modernization of agriculture and rural areas. We should adhere to the development principles of ecological priority, conservation and intensification, and green and low carbon, relying on the dual drive of technology and reform. It is necessary to comprehensively consider supply security and emission reduction effects, environmental protection and economic development, economic efficiency and social equity; fully apply and innovate new energy, new materials, new equipment, information technology, biotechnology, smart agriculture technology, etc.; and develop a modern ecological low-carbon agricultural industry technology system that is in line with China’s basic national conditions. This will comprehensively achieve the diversified development goals of carbon fixation, emission reduction, and production increase; provide a Chinese solution to China’s problems; and promote sustainable development of world agriculture, as follows:

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Strong ability to ensure stable production and supply of food and important agricultural products based on alleviating resource and environmental constraints

The strategic significance of ensuring a stable supply of grain and key agricultural products for building an agricultural powerhouse cannot be ignored. In the process of promoting ELA, it is necessary to prioritize the efficient supply of food and important agricultural products. Firstly, maintaining a high level of food self-sufficiency is crucial. Since China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, through continuous efforts, the self-sufficiency rate of food and grains has always been maintained at over 97%, achieving basic self-sufficiency of grains and absolute safety of food [65]. While addressing challenges such as land degradation, soil and water pollution, and increased carbon emissions, maintaining this high level of self-sufficiency should still be the primary goal of agricultural development. Secondly, improving the highest standards of agricultural product quality and safety is another key focus. With the transformation of people’s living needs from “quantity” to “quality,” the development of ELA should focus on improving the supply capacity of green and high-quality agricultural products, strengthening standard setting and safety supervision, and steadily improving the quality and safety level of agricultural products. Finally, building a diversified green food supply system is also crucial. In the face of the continuous growth in the consumption of nutritious foods such as meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products, especially the huge potential for growth in the consumption level of meat products [66], the development of ELA needs to follow the trend of upgrading the food consumption structure of urban and rural residents, increase the production and effective supply of green food, promote the concept of green consumption, and expand the scale of the green food market.

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High contribution to the “dual carbon” goal in the context of improving carbon reduction and sequestration capabilities

In 2020, China pledged to reach its peak carbon emissions by 2030 and is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. This commitment reflects China’s responsibility in global climate governance. Agriculture, as one of the important sources of carbon emissions and with unique carbon sequestration potential, plays a crucial role in achieving the “dual carbon” goals [17]. In order to promote carbon reduction and carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector, China has implemented a series of policies and measures. In July 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the “Technical Guidelines for Agricultural Green Development (2018–2030),” which proposed the concept of establishing a green development system and a low-carbon model, and set a goal of reducing the intensity of gas emissions per unit of agricultural added value by more than 30% by 2030. In May 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for Agricultural and Rural Emission Reduction and Carbon Fixation,” which further clarifies the measures to reduce the greenhouse gas emission intensity of planting, animal husbandry, and agricultural and rural production and living energy by improving monitoring indicators, key parameters, and accounting methods. Looking ahead to the future, as China continues to deepen its basic work on agricultural carbon emissions and implement specific emission reduction measures, it is expected that China’s agricultural ecosystem will make significant progress in reducing and fixing carbon emissions, thereby making an important contribution to achieving the “dual carbon” goals.

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Adequate income growth momentum for farmers under the premise of ecological and low-carbon transformation of the entire agricultural industry chain

The vigorous development of rural industries plays a fundamental role in promoting the increase of farmers’ income. In the new stage of development, promoting the process of ELA should focus on expanding the multi-functionality of agriculture, tapping deeply into the diverse values of rural areas, and achieving green, low-carbon, high-end, and sound development of the entire agricultural industry chain, thereby providing strong momentum for increasing farmers’ income. Firstly, the sources of income for farmers should be continuously expanded. We will accelerate the development of characteristic agriculture; deepen the implementation of the “Three Products and One Standard” action plan centered on improving quality, green ecology, and safety; increase efforts to cultivate local characteristic agricultural product brands; and achieve high-quality agricultural product sales at competitive prices. Additionally, based on the excellent ecological and living environment, we will actively cultivate emerging industries and new formats. By organizing experiential activities, creating agricultural landscapes, and exploring local culture, we aim to enhance the added value of rural characteristic industries and open up new channels for farmers to increase their income. Secondly, the costs of agricultural production, processing, and circulation should continue to be reduced. In the agricultural production process, by widely promoting green technologies that save water, medicine, fertilizer, and energy, the input of production materials is reduced, thereby reducing agricultural production costs [67]. In the processing stage, costs will be reduced by improving facilities and equipment; promoting the integrated application of green, efficient, energy-saving, and low-carbon agricultural product deep processing technology; strengthening the comprehensive utilization of agricultural product processing byproducts; achieving loss reduction, cascading utilization, and circular development. In the circulation process, through innovative green business models such as the cold chain co-distribution of agricultural products and the combination of fresh e-commerce and cold chain home distribution, we can achieve efficient matching between market demand and cold chain resources and reduce circulation costs.

4.2. The Development Path of ELA in China

The construction of ELA with Chinese characteristics in the new era relies on properly addressing the relevant factors that constrain its development and solving bottleneck problems. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the various actors and interests related to ELA, as well as the optimization of agricultural energy supply structure [68]; the continuous improvement of agricultural energy utilization efficiency; the progress of ELA technology and the improvement of agricultural comprehensive production efficiency [69]; the improvement of agricultural labor quality [70]; the development level of agricultural mechanization; agricultural electricity management policies; the transformation of agricultural industry structure; the optimization of agricultural product structure [71]; and the joint effect of regional economic development level and economic structure [72].

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Fully utilize agricultural experience and modern technology

China’s long history and agricultural culture are the cornerstone of the development of Chinese civilization. The key to the inheritance of a traditional Chinese agriculture that dates back thousands of years lies in the deep understanding of ancient farmers of the relationship between humans and nature, economic laws and ecological laws, and the construction of a meticulous soil conservation technology system. In contemporary times, these traditional agricultural management concepts still have profound significance and practical value in guiding the development of ELA. For example, in traditional Chinese agriculture, the practices of straw-feeding livestock and of human and animal manure and organic waste returning to the field not only achieve the organic integration of planting and animal husbandry, but also conform to the ecological laws of material and energy circulation [73,74]. This circular agriculture model, which combines planting and breeding, not only promotes the resource utilization of agricultural waste, but also helps to reduce the use of agricultural inputs, becoming an important manifestation of ELA. However, given that China is a resource constrained country, to fundamentally alleviate the shortage of agricultural resources, it must rely on technological innovation. This means that it is necessary to vigorously research and promote new energy-saving agricultural technologies such as those that conserve water, land, fertilizer, and medicine, and innovate and develop new cultivation models for resource recycling, in order to achieve an ecological low-carbon agricultural development path with high technological content, low resource consumption, low environmental pollution, and high economic benefits.

For instance, drip irrigation and drought tolerant crop cultivation can be promoted in arid northern regions to reduce dependence on water resources. In the southern water network areas, land and water resource utilization efficiency is improved through the transformation of polder fields and the water-saving cultivation of rice. The eastern coastal areas can utilize seawater desalination and multi-cropping cultivation to optimize resource allocation. At the same time, fertilizer-saving techniques and the comprehensive management of pests and diseases are adopted in the cultivation of grain crops, circular agriculture and integrated water and fertilizer technologies are promoted in the cultivation of economic crops, and ecological breeding and grassland protection are emphasized in animal husbandry. By implementing the above differentiated measures, we can achieve an agricultural development model with high technological content, low resource consumption, minimal environmental pollution, and high economic benefits.

(2)

Synchronous promotion of green technology innovation and promotion application

In July 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the “Technical Guidelines for Agricultural Green Development (2018–2030),” aiming to guide innovative entities such as scientific research institutions, universities, and enterprises to collaborate on the research and development of key technologies for agricultural green development, and to promote the progress of agricultural green technology. Despite the continuous emergence of agricultural technological innovation in ecological and low-carbon development in recent years, as well as a significant increase in the number of patent applications and scientific research achievements, the technologies widely adopted and applied by farmers are still relatively limited. In order to promote the development of ELA, it is necessary, on the one hand, to implement an innovation-driven development strategy; develop environmentally friendly and efficient fertilizers, pesticides, energy-saving and low-consumption agricultural machinery and equipment; and study relevant green production technologies to improve farmland quality, control agricultural water use, and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. On the other hand, attention should be paid to the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, establishing the dominant position of enterprises in the transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, and shortening the transformation cycle of green scientific and technological achievements. At the same time, with the help of the grassroots agricultural technology promotion system, one should actively promote green and efficient technology models. Through the parallel development of technological innovation and promotion, this provides solid support for the development of ELA.

For instance, in the grain production area of northeast China, environmentally friendly and efficient fertilizers and pesticides can be developed, energy-saving and low consumption agricultural machinery and equipment can be promoted, and technologies to improve the quality of black soil can be studied. In the northwest region, where water resources are scarce, the focus is on developing water-saving irrigation technologies and green production technologies that reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. In the southern economic crop planting areas, the transformation cycle of green technology achievements such as biopesticides and organic fertilizers can be shortened through enterprise-driven efforts. In the agricultural areas along the eastern coast, one should actively promote green and efficient technology models such as water fertilizer integration through grassroots agricultural technology promotion systems. Through this combination of regional and agricultural differences in technological innovation and promotion, solid support is provided for the development of ecological low-carbon agriculture.

(3)

Integrate effective government and efficient market as a whole

The development of ELA involves the adjustment of resource structure and the reshaping of interest patterns. Taking straw returning and conservation tillage as examples, though these technologies have a positive impact on emission reduction and carbon sequestration, their implementation requires a significant investment of time and funds from the operating entity. Relying solely on government subsidies and transfer payments to support measures means it is difficult to form a sustainable and effective incentive mechanism. To meet the requirements of ELA, the government should continuously improve the subsidy system guided by green ecology. On the basis of ensuring national food security and the stable growth of farmers’ incomes, policies such as land use subsidies and agricultural machinery purchase subsidies should be closely combined with the effects of reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, energy conservation and emission reduction of agricultural machinery, to ensure that incremental subsidy funds focus on supporting the development of resource-saving and environmentally friendly agriculture [75]. At the same time, market mechanisms, such as price, supply and demand, and competition, should be fully utilized to stimulate the enthusiasm of agricultural green technology innovation entities such as enterprises, and promote the rapid development of technological innovation. One should also build a market-oriented technology service and technology trading system, and expand channels for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Additionally, one should explore the establishment of a mechanism for realizing the value of ELA and stimulate the intrinsic motivation of agricultural management entities.

For instance, in major grain-producing areas, the government can link soil fertility subsidies with the effectiveness of reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, ensuring that subsidy funds are focused on farmers who adopt environmentally friendly fertilization and green pest control technologies. In areas with a high degree of agricultural mechanization, subsidies for purchasing agricultural machinery should prioritize energy-saving and emission-reducing agricultural machinery, such as by promoting energy-saving and efficient combine harvesters in the northeast plain region. In the southern economic crop planting areas, market mechanisms such as prices and supply and demand relationships are used to incentivize enterprises to develop environmentally friendly fertilizers and biopesticides, promoting technological innovation. In the arid northwest region, one should establish a market-oriented technology service system and broaden the channels for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements such as water-saving irrigation. In addition, exploring the establishment of ecological low-carbon agricultural value realization mechanisms, such as ecological compensation and carbon trading, can stimulate the intrinsic motivation of various agricultural management entities, from black soil protection in northeast China to ecological agriculture in southwest mountainous areas, in order to achieve resource conservation and environmentally friendly agricultural development.

4.3. Key Tasks for Developing of ELA in China

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Improving the modern agricultural production and operation system

China’s agriculture is mainly based on the small-scale agricultural economy model, facing challenges such as low output efficiency, difficulties in increasing farmers’ income, and difficulty in achieving green production. In order to break through the limitations of these multiple goals and develop ELA, the key is to establish a sound modern agricultural management system, promote the moderate-scale operation of agriculture, and achieve green production while improving production efficiency and increasing farmers’ income. On the one hand, we should actively cultivate new agricultural management entities and support them in the use of green agricultural inputs, the adoption of green production technologies, and the production of green and high-quality agricultural products. At the same time, the new agricultural management entities should play a demonstration and driving role, guiding small farmers in the surrounding areas to adopt ecological low-carbon production methods. On the other hand, we should widely carry out socialized services for small farmers, vigorously cultivate service subjects, expand service areas, improve service quality, and introduce new technologies, varieties, and other elements that conform to the concept of ecological low carbon into agricultural production. By accelerating the development of service-oriented scale operations, we aim to promote the standardization, intensification, and greening of agricultural production and operation.

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Exploring the potential of agricultural emission reduction and carbon fixation

In the face of diversified food consumption demand, an accelerated agricultural mechanization process, and a limited development of carbon sequestration potential in agricultural systems, it is necessary to adopt multidimensional strategies to address the issue of the insufficient space for agricultural carbon reduction and sequestration. Firstly, green and low-carbon consumption should be guided, such as by promoting the concepts of green and low-carbon through diversified channels such as social media and school education, enhancing consumers’ awareness of ecological and environmental protection and cultivating their recognition of green lifestyles. Secondly, one should increase policy support for energy-saving and environmental protection equipment in the production, processing, and circulation of agricultural products, such as by accelerating the upgrading of agricultural machinery, increasing subsidies for the purchase of low-carbon and efficient equipment, and reducing energy consumption in various links of the agricultural industry chain. Finally, one should expand the application scope of protective tillage techniques; for example, one should increase the subsidy area for deep loosening and land preparation operations and expand the coverage of policies such as fallow subsidies. Through these comprehensive measures, one can create greater space for agricultural emission reduction and carbon sequestration.

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Building a technological system to support the development of ELA

Building a technological system to support the development of ELA is crucial for addressing agricultural resource and environmental issues and implementing sustainable development strategies. In response to the current problems of insufficient innovation in green inputs, limited supply of green technologies, immature technological models, and imperfect standards and specifications, multiple measures need to be taken. Especially, one should focus on the development of efficient, high-quality, and multi-resistant new varieties; environmentally friendly and efficient fertilizers; and new green products, such as low-toxicity and low-risk agricultural drugs and biological agents; promote the research and application of energy-saving and low consumption farming management technology and equipment, as well as low-loss and high-quality harvesting, storage, transportation, and post-production treatment technology and equipment; strengthen the innovation and demonstration promotion of green production technologies, such as by improving farmland quality and conservation technology, agricultural water control and rain fed dry farming technology, and agricultural waste recycling technology; and develop a model of green crop yield increase and efficiency improvement, as well as of integrated circular technology for planting, breeding, and processing. Through these measures, solid technical support will be provided for the development of ELA.

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Establishing and improving the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products

Establishing and improving the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products is crucial for the development of ELA, as it can promote the comprehensive transformation of agricultural development towards green. Firstly, it is necessary to establish an ecological product value evaluation mechanism, explore scientific and reasonable value accounting methods based on the functionality and commodity attributes of different types of ecological products; clarify the reference standards, specific algorithms, and statistical caliber of accounting; promote the standardization of ecological product value accounting; and promote the application of accounting results in ecological protection compensation, ecological resource rights trading, and other aspects. Secondly, it is necessary to improve the mechanism for operating and developing ecological products. On the one hand, this can be achieved by innovating the value realization model of ecological products, accelerating the cultivation of market operation and development entities, and utilizing local natural endowments to develop environmentally friendly industries such as the digital economy, clean medicine, and ecotourism. On the other hand, this might also be achieved by exploring ecological resource equity trading mechanisms, such as green increment responsibility index trading, clear water increment responsibility index trading, carbon sink equity trading, etc., to form effective incentive mechanisms. Finally, we will improve the compensation mechanism for ecological product protection, establish a vertical and horizontal ecological protection compensation system, and allocate transfer payment funds from central and provincial finance based on the value accounting results of ecological products. At the same time, we will explore ecological protection compensation from beneficiary areas to supply areas and establish reasonable compensation methods and standards. Through these measures, institutional guarantees are provided for the development of ELA.

Overall, the logical framework for developing ELA is shown in Figure 4.

5. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations

5.1. Conclusions

In the context of global warming, China has put forward the strategic goal of “dual carbon” and is committed to achieving Chinese path to modernization. The Chinese path to modernization emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. Agriculture is an important area of carbon emissions and an important foundation for China’s sustainable development. ELA achieves a deep transformation of traditional agricultural production methods by synchronously improving ecological, social, and economic benefits. Therefore, the development of ELA is the key manner in which to realize the vision of Chinese path to modernization and the strategic goal of “dual carbon.” This paper focuses on the emerging concept of ELA in China, examines the connotation and characteristics of ELA, the challenges faced by the development of ELA in China, and paths and policy recommendations by which to promote the sustainable development of ELA in China. The research results indicate the following:

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has gradually built a policy system to support the development of ELA through a series of innovative measures, thereby improving the efficiency of agricultural resource utilization, strengthening the reduction and efficiency of inputs, improving the utilization rate of waste resources, promoting the ecological development of industrial models, and continuously reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the development foundation of China’s ELA is not yet stable, with problems such as uneven regional development, the low willingness of farmers to participate, insufficient technological reserves, and difficulties in realizing the value of ecological products. In order to achieve a stable supply of grain and important agricultural products and make strong contributions to the “dual carbon” goals, the new development stage must combine traditional agricultural experience with modern technology, synchronously promote green technology innovation and its promotion and application, and effectively combine the development strategies of promising governments and effective markets. In addition, it is necessary to improve the agricultural subsidy system guided by green ecology, build a technical system to support the development of ELA, and establish a sound mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products.

Although this paper focuses mainly on typical scenarios in China, the theoretical analysis of the basic features, development goals, and construction paths of ELA still has a certain degree of universality. For example, the requirements for agricultural resource utilization, industrial models, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction in ELA are universal. Meanwhile, the key tasks proposed in terms of agricultural production and its operation system, agricultural emission reduction and carbon sequestration potential, and a low-carbon agricultural development technology system, each play an important role in promoting the development of ELA. Therefore, the research results of this paper can provide new models for sustainable development in the agricultural sector under the background of global low-carbon development, and thus provide a basis for formulating targeted agricultural development policies, so as to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

5.2. Policy Recommendations

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Continuously improving the organizational capacity and performance of ELA regions

Without a professional and efficient organization for the development of ELA, the development of China’s characteristic ELA is like a tree without roots or water without a source. Therefore, gradually establishing and improving a regional characteristic organizational system for the development of ELA through organizational management innovation is a key step in empowering the development of China’s characteristic ELA. Therefore, it is necessary to innovate the organizational model of ELA production and operation according to local conditions, effectively promote the integration and closed-loop development of local characteristic ELA industry chains, and promote good connections inside and outside the industry chain [76], as follows:

Firstly, one should fully leverage the leading role of regional state-owned farms in agricultural ecological technology innovation, the rational allocation of resources, and the promotion of the transformation and upgrade of traditional agriculture to ELA [77]. It is also necessary to fully leverage the organizational efficiency of leading agricultural industrialization enterprises, agricultural industry clusters, and agricultural industrialization consortia in promoting regional energy conservation, emission reduction, and the development of ELA. Secondly, local characteristic professional cooperatives, family farms and other new agricultural production and operation entities are important targets for promoting ecological low-carbon agricultural technology in the future. Supporting new agricultural production and operation entities to fully participate in the demonstration and driving effect is conducive to accelerating the sustainable development of ELA [78]. Thirdly, one should encourage and support new ecological low-carbon agricultural socialized service organizations, gradually improve the level of organization of small farmers and the scale and level of ecological low-carbon agricultural socialized services, vigorously promote low-cost ecological low-carbon agricultural adaptive technologies for small farmers, and enable more small farmers to actively participate in the ecological low-carbon agricultural production system [79].

For instance, state-owned farms in northeast China can fully leverage their leading role in agricultural ecological technology innovation and rational resource allocation, such as by promoting low-carbon production technologies in soybean and corn cultivation, leading traditional agriculture to transform into ecological low-carbon agriculture. The leading agricultural industrialization enterprises in the eastern coastal areas should utilize their organizational efficiency to play a key role in promoting energy conservation, emission reduction, and ecological low-carbon agriculture development, such as by promoting ecological aquaculture models in the field of marine aquaculture. New agricultural production and operation entities such as professional cooperatives and family farms in agricultural areas of a western type will become important targets for promoting ecological low-carbon agricultural technology, encouraging them to play a demonstration and driving role in the cultivation of plateau characteristic crops, which is conducive to the sustainable development of ecological low-carbon agriculture. In the hilly areas of southern China, it is possible to enhance the organizational level of small farmers, promote low-cost adaptive technologies, such as ecological tea garden management, and enable more small farmers to participate in the ecological low-carbon agricultural production system, thereby gradually improving the scale and level of social services.

(2)

Accelerating the progress of ELA technology and regional promotion demonstration

Based on the diverse and complex features of ecological agriculture with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to establish a sound regional ELA technology support system based on different social and agricultural conditions in different regions. We should vigorously explore and promote ELA models and technology integration suitable for our region according to local conditions, and provide technical support for the high-quality development of ELA with Chinese characteristics.

The first of these requires one to establish and improve regional carbon footprint evaluation methods. One should accelerate the establishment of quantitative models for key emission factors, improve farmland quality, promote factor reduction and efficiency enhancement, and achieve the quantitative analysis and evaluation of regional carbon footprints, providing a scientific basis for the formulation of management measures such as low-carbon agricultural technology transformation, carbon trading, and carbon labeling [80]. The second of these involves innovating the typical development model of local ELA, strengthening the research and development of green agricultural inputs, accelerating the research and application of new equipment for ELA, driving the crowdfunding of production materials, green logistics, and precise matching of production and sales for ELA, and vigorously improve the operational capacity and development quality of the ecological low-carbon agricultural industry chain [81]. The third of these involves continuously strengthening the construction of grassroots ELA professional technology and management backbone talents; promoting the development of ecological low-carbon technology innovation service organizations; supporting the integration research of carbon sink agriculture biotechnology, engineering technology, and information technology; and enhancing the supply capacity of ELA technology. It also involves continuously optimizing the ecological low-carbon agricultural production service system; promoting the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries; and fully leveraging the landscape ecological functions of modern agricultural industrial parks and agricultural science and technology parks [82]. Fourthly, in terms of production technology, we will continue to promote mature practical ecological low-carbon agricultural technologies, such as conservation tillage, crop rotation, straw returning, manure and fertilizer application, and drip irrigation, to achieve comprehensive conservation of land, fertilizer, water, medicine, film, and electricity, and to effectively improve the carbon sequestration capacity and emission reduction effect of farmland [83]. We will also seek to prioritize the development of clean energy, such as wind energy, solar energy, and bioenergy, to promote a virtuous cycle of agriculture and rural ecology; to fully leverage the landscape function of agricultural ecosystems; and to achieve carbon capture or sequestration of agricultural soil and plants by maximizing green coverage [84].

For instance, in the grain production area of northeast China, a carbon footprint evaluation method is established to improve the quality of arable land through quantitative models, providing a basis for low-carbon technology transformation. This is undertaken in the hilly areas of the south by innovating ecological low-carbon agricultural models, developing green inputs, and promoting the improvement of industrial chain operation capabilities. In the arid northwest region, it is achieved by strengthening the construction of grassroots professional and management talent teams, promoting research on carbon sequestration agricultural technology, and optimizing the production service system. In economically developed areas along the eastern coast, this is achieved by practical technologies such as the continued promotion of conservation tillage and the prioritization of the development of clean energy such as wind and solar power. By increasing green coverage, carbon capture of agricultural soil and plants will be achieved, promoting a virtuous cycle of agriculture and rural ecology.

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Establishing and continuously improving the support system for ELA

To promote the development of ecological and low-carbon agriculture in China, the government should encourage, support, guide and coordinate efforts; formulate a sound system of policies, laws and regulations; and deepen a policy system for green and low-carbon development of ecological and low-carbon agriculture.

Firstly, we need to explore the establishment of carbon footprint accounts and carbon information disclosure systems for agricultural entities and accelerate the formation of a market mechanism for agricultural carbon emissions trading. We also need to guide relevant enterprises toward carrying out environmental information disclosure as required, guide agricultural entities with high carbon footprints to update production technology and improve production methods in a timely manner, and transform towards ELA [85]. Secondly, we must promote the formulation and implementation of ecological low-carbon agricultural standards covering all elements such as seeds, water, fertilizer, medicine, film, and energy, as well as the entire process of sowing, cultivation, processing, storage and transportation, sales, and consumption. Thirdly, we must establish a dual-led ELA compensation mechanism between the government and the market, increase the promotion of low-carbon agricultural technology policies, and improve low-carbon agricultural technology training. We should also establish and gradually increase the special subsidy standards for ELA development projects targeting small farmers, stimulating their enthusiasm to participate in ELA through the economic value of carbon products produced by farmers and the government’s carbon compensation amount. Additionally, we should vigorously promote measures and means, such as carbon sequestration trading, to strengthen farmers’ awareness of low-carbon management and increase the conversion rate from low-carbon willingness to low-carbon behavior. Fourthly, we must establish a nationwide ecological low-carbon compensation transfer payment system to promote the construction of a regional coordinated development mechanism for ELA, strengthen cooperation and linkage in the development of ELA, carry out coordinated governance of agricultural carbon sinks, strengthen regional coordination among law enforcement service departments, and promote coordinated development between provinces and cities [86]. Furthermore, we should establish a financial service system for ELA, adopt appropriate measures such as financial subsidies and special credit support to encourage agricultural operators to use ecological low-carbon equipment and technology, explore carbon reduction linked loans, and reduce the cost of transformation and upgrading of ecological low-carbon agricultural production and operation entities. We should also encourage and guide agricultural enterprises to create distinctive regional ecological low-carbon agricultural product brands, enhancing product added value and the efficiency of ELA in increasing income. Finally, we must enhance the ecological low-carbon awareness of agricultural producers and consumers [87], form a green and healthy agricultural production and consumption cycle, and optimize the public environment for the development of ELA.

For instance, in the soybean producing areas of northeast China, one should explore the establishment of carbon footprint accounts for agricultural entities, guide enterprises to disclose environmental information, and promote the adoption of low-carbon production technologies by high carbon footprint agricultural entities. Additionally, one should promote the development and implementation of ecological low-carbon agricultural standards for all factors and processes in the rice planting areas in the south. For the characteristic agriculture in the western region, we should establish a compensation mechanism led by both the government and the market, increase the special subsidy standards for small farmers, and stimulate their enthusiasm to participate in low-carbon agriculture through carbon trading. We should also establish a nationwide ecological low-carbon compensation and transfer payment system in the eastern coastal areas to promote regional coordinated development. In addition, we should establish a financial service system for poverty-stricken areas in the central and western regions, provide financial subsidies and credit support, and encourage the adoption of low-carbon equipment and technology. Ultimately, we aim to enhance the ecological low-carbon awareness of agricultural producers and consumers nationwide, establish a green and healthy agricultural production and consumption cycle, and optimize the public environment.