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Agricultural and industrial production activities generate GDP and greatly improve the quality of life of residents. At the same time, these activities also lead to increased energy consumption and emit large amounts of pollutants, which affect public health. However, there has been little past research focused on all the above associations. This study innovatively proposes a parallel two-stage EBM-DEA model to re-measure health production efficiency. The objective is to conduct a joint analysis of the economic development, pollutant emissions and human health of agriculture and industry in 30 provinces in China from 2016 to 2020, and calculate the health production efficiency, stage efficiency (agricultural production efficiency, industrial production efficiency and health efficiency) and environmental pollution efficiency. The research shows that the health production efficiency in other provinces has not reached the efficiency frontier except in Beijing, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Ningxia. In addition, there is room for improvement to varying degrees. In terms of geographical disparity, agricultural production efficiency and health efficiency are distributed in the trend of east > west > central, whereas industrial production efficiency is distributed in a ladder shape from east > central > west. Health efficiency contributes to overall efficiency, whereas agricultural and industrial production efficiencies drag down overall efficiency. The discharge efficiency of various pollutants shows that China's environmental control policies have achieved good results, but environmental problems in some provinces are still serious. Moreover, areas with higher pollutant discharge efficiency values have higher tuberculosis incidence efficiency values. Furthermore, provinces should pay attention to improving the efficiency of medical and health fund utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural endeavors, especially in developing nations, entail inherent risks. Amidst challenges related to capital and agricultural marketing, contract farming emerges as a highly effective strategy. It not only facilitates capital accumulation but also ensures consistent product sales, establishes fair pricing, and contributes to the overall balanced development of the agricultural sector. This concern has been a longstanding global consideration, with Iran now addressing it. Recognizing the paramount importance of implementing contemporary agricultural methodologies, including contract farming, this research systematically investigates factors influencing farmers' intentions in Iran. A survey methodology is employed for systematic information collection from a statistical population of 98,777 farmers in rural Markazi Province, Iran. Using the Karjesi and Morgan table for sample size determination, a representative subset of 383 farmers is selected through stratified random sampling, ensuring proportional assignment within strata. A researcher-made questionnaire, validated by expert panels and confirmed for reliability through Cronbach's alpha coefficient, serves as the research instrument. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27, and structural equation modeling was performed with SmartPLS4. The findings reveal that trust (0.528), awareness (0.332), and attitude (0.168), exert the most substantial causal influence on farmers' intention to embrace contract farming. Consequently, the research findings offer practical recommendations for the adoption of contract farming, providing valuable insights to policymakers and stakeholders for implementing targeted interventions aimed at boosting farmers' willingness to participate in contractual agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural endeavors, especially in developing nations, entail inherent risks. Amidst challenges related to capital and agricultural marketing, contract farming emerges as a highly effective strategy. It not only facilitates capital accumulation but also ensures consistent product sales, establishes fair pricing, and contributes to the overall balanced development of the agricultural sector. This concern has been a longstanding global consideration, with Iran now addressing it. Recognizing the paramount importance of implementing contemporary agricultural methodologies, including contract farming, this research systematically investigates factors influencing farmers' intentions in Iran. A survey methodology is employed for systematic information collection from a statistical population of 98,777 farmers in rural Markazi Province, Iran. Using the Karjesi and Morgan table for sample size determination, a representative subset of 383 farmers is selected through stratified random sampling, ensuring proportional assignment within strata. A researcher-made questionnaire, validated by expert panels and confirmed for reliability through Cronbach's alpha coefficient, serves as the research instrument. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27, and structural equation modeling was performed with SmartPLS4. The findings reveal that trust (0.528), awareness (0.332), and attitude (0.168), exert the most substantial causal influence on farmers' intention to embrace contract farming. Consequently, the research findings offer practical recommendations for the adoption of contract farming, providing valuable insights to policymakers and stakeholders for implementing targeted interventions aimed at boosting farmers' willingness to participate in contractual agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal husbandry is one of the pillar industries for agricultural and rural development, which has a significant impact on ensuring food safety. Under the promotion of the rural revitalization strategy, the construction of a Chinesestyle animal husbandry power has achieved certain results. The pace of transformation and upgrading of Chinese animal husbandry industry has accelerated, production capacity has continued to improve, and quality, efficiency, and competitiveness have continued to improve. The continuous growth of the animal husbandry industry greatly drives rural development and increases farmers' income. Technological support has been strengthened, the green development process has been comprehensively promoted, and significant achievements have been made in the construction of a Chinese-style animal husbandry power. Based on this, the construction of a Chinese-style animal husbandry power needs to practice the concept of green development, adapt to the specific embodiment of high-quality development requirements, and promote the key path and core task of common prosperity. The development of animal husbandry needs to fill the industry's shortcomings, comprehensively improve the quality of development, adhere to expand domestic demand, and effectively drive the accelerated growth of agriculture and rural economy. We should deepen technological reform, empower the green transformation and upgrading of the animal husbandry industry, and provide useful references for driving the construction of a Chinese style animal husbandry power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we race towards 2030, the target date for achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, it is critical that we examine our approaches to agricultural development research and practice. We should not expect extraordinary results by using the approaches we have always used. Rather, we must innovate. To that end, Advancements in Agricultural Development held a Symposium on Methods of Agricultural Development Research and Practice in October 2023 on the University of Reading campus, co-hosted by the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development. We invited recognized experts from around the world to develop papers focused on innovative methods of agricultural development practice or innovative methods of agricultural development research. We had ten papers presented that were authored by 26 researchers representing 13 universities/research institutes in 6 countries. Sixteen authors attended the symposium to present their papers. A healthy dialogue followed each presentation to help authors refine their papers, resulting in the articles published in this special issue. A summary of each article is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is among the pressing global challenges affecting sustainable development, especially in the rain-fed-based agriculture of developing countries. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) approach answers this question by ensuring high productivity, creating an improved adaptive capacity and reducing GHG emissions. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of the indicators, theory of change and impact pathways of CSA that lead to sustainable development. Using a systematic research method, four stages of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) namely, identification, eligibility, screening and included were used for selecting the articles reviewed. A total of 37 articles were then used for this study. CSA interventions measured by the behavioral changes resulting from different stakeholders (producers, consumers, extension workers, policymakers and institutions, civil society and the private sector) can play a significant role in sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the integrated development of rural industry promotes the application of the agricultural green production mode, it inevitably has an impact on the green development of agriculture. Analysing the influence of rural industry integration on agricultural green development is of great significance for realizing agricultural modernization and sustainable development. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China during 2010-2021, the entropy weight TOPSIS method was used to estimate the agricultural green development level (AGD) and the rural industrial integration level (RII). The influence of agricultural industry integration (AII) on the level of agricultural green development (AGD) and its nonlinear characteristics were analysed by constructing a fixed model, intermediary effect model and threshold effect model. The results show the following. (1) A significant positive relationship exists between the RII and the AGD; that is, the development of rural industry integration can effectively promote the green development of agriculture. Regarding the three regions in China, the integration of rural industries in eastern China plays the most prominent role in the green development of agriculture. (2) Rural industrial integration has significant scale, capital and technology effects; that is, rural industrial integration mainly promotes AGD indirectly by promoting agricultural scale management and agricultural technological progress and improving rural human capital. (3) Rural industrial integration has a significant nonlinear marginal increasing effect on AGD. In the dynamic process of AGD changing from low to high, the effect of the marginal utility of rural industrial integration on AGD is gradually enhanced. Therefore, China should strengthen the deeply integrated development of rural industries, ensure the appropriate scale operation of agriculture and adjustments to the planting structure, accelerate agricultural technology innovation and rural human capital accumulation, and realize a win--win situation for rural economic and ecological conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain a scientific understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of agricultural eco-efficiency (AEE) as well as its influencing factors in Fujian Province, effective recommendations were provided to promote agricultural green development. The Super-SBM model with undesired output was employed to assess AEE, and the GTWR model was used to analyze the main factors influencing AEE based on data from nine prefecture-level cities in Fujian Province spanning from 2000 to 2020. There are three conclusions to be drawn: Firstly, the AEE of Fujian Province has increased from 0.340 in 2000 to 0.971 in 2020, but it has not yet reached the efficiency frontier due to excessive input of agricultural factors and carbon emissions. The development of AEE across regions is unbalanced with a wide gap between them. Secondly, from a spatial correlation perspective, global correlation of AEE in Fujian Province showed random distribution while local agglomeration existed to varying degrees. Thirdly, AEE in Fujian Province was influenced by various driving factors that changed significantly over different periods and exhibited obvious regional differences. In summary, the AEE of Fujian Province has shown overall improvement; however, its effectiveness remains limited. The disparities among cities are evident, necessitating the formulation of differentiated strategies for agricultural ecological development to enhance regional synergistic driving forces and improve regional AEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconciling the tasks of producing adequate amounts of nutritious food for the increasing global population while preserving the environment and natural ecosystems simultaneously is an enormous challenge. The concept of agriculture green development (AGD) and the necessary governmental policies were developed to address the aforementioned challenge in China and to help achieve the related global sustainable development goals. Agriculture green development emphasizes the synergy between green and development; current agriculture has to transform from the intensive farming with high inputs, high environmental impacts and low resource-use efficiency to a more sustainable agriculture, in order to ensure an adequate supply of nutritious food while delivering environmental integrity, improved economic profitability, and social equity. A research program on AGD was established by China Agricultural University with four research themes, namely: green crop production, green integrated crop-animal production, green food and industry, and green ecological environment and ecosystem services, to provide a scientific basis for future developments and to facilitate the implementation of AGD in practice. AGD requires a multistakeholder approach, fueled by innovative and interdisciplinary research. Joint actions have to be taken by governments, farmers, supply industries, consumers, educators, extension services and researchers to support AGD. This requires strong coordination and public awareness campaigns. This review presents the progress that has been made over the past 5 years and makes recommendations for more research and development, in order to better deliver agricultural green and sustainable development on national and international scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has initiated a green transformation plan in 2015, which was soon applied to agriculture, known as the agriculture green development (AGD) initiative, with the goals of achieving food security, high resource use efficiency, and an ecofriendly environment. To assess the agricultural transformation from 1997 to 2020, this paper proposes a national-scale indicator system consisting three dimensions (socioeconomic, food production and eco-environmental) and ten sub-dimensions to quantify the AGD score. This study showed that AGD score in China was at a moderate level during 1997-2010, scoring 40 out of 100. During this stage, decreased scores in the sub-dimensions of resource consumption, environmental quality, and environmental cost have offset the improvement in the socioeconomic dimension, resulting in fluctuated scores around 40. In the second stage (2011-2020), China's AGD score improved but still at moderate level, scoring an average of 46.3, with each dimension increasing by 5.3%-25.0%. These results indicate that China has made progress in the agricultural transformation, transitioning from conceptualization to actions through the implementation of various policies and projects. However, the study emphasizes the need for more effort to address the insufficient and unbalanced development, along with the growing eco-environmental challenges, especially the trade-offs among dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agricultural economic development is the core task for achieving the objective of rural revitalization strategy in China, which cannot be separated from the support and guidance of fiscal policy, and agricultural industry integration is a key path for the fiscal promotion of sustainable agricultural economic development. This paper systematically examines the interaction mechanism between fiscal agricultural expenditures and sustainable agricultural economic development by using 31 provincial panel data in China from 2008 to 2020 and adopting a two-way fixed effect model, a panel quantile model, and a mediating effect model, respectively. The results show that the impact of fiscal agricultural expenditures on sustainable agricultural economic development is significantly positive, and appears a dynamic increasing trend with the agricultural development stage upgrading. Moreover, heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of fiscal agricultural expenditures is more obvious for the samples in the central region and with a high share of primary industry. Further, a mediating effect test finds that agricultural industry integration plays a mediating mechanism between fiscal agricultural expenditures and sustainable agricultural economic development. Therefore, this paper proposes constructing a long-term investment mechanism for fiscal agricultural expenditures, formulating differentiated fiscal support policies for agriculture, and prioritizing support for agricultural industry integration, which provides theoretical support and policy inspiration for promoting sustainable agricultural economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researching the structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network of cultivated land utilization ecological efficiency is of great significance to China's food security and agricultural green and low-carbon development. Taking 47 cities (autonomous prefectures) in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as the research object, the ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization from 2010 to 2020 was measured based on the unexpected output model (Super SBM), and the spatial correlation matrix was constructed using the revised gravity model. The structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network were analyzed using the social network model (SNA), and finally, the factors affecting the spatial correlation network of cultivated land utilization ecological efficiency in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were analyzed through the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) model. The results show that: (1) the ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has been increasing year by year, but the overall level is low, and there is a large gap among provinces. Sichuan Province has the highest average value of 0.605, and Yunnan Province has the lowest average value of 0.359. (2) The ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has broken through the provincial boundaries and has formed an obvious spatial correlation network, but the overall density is low, and the network is still relatively loose, needing further development and improvement. Chengdu, Yibin, Luzhou, and other cities are located in the center of the network and have formed four cohesive subgroups. (3)The differences in the level of agricultural economic development, the rural per capita disposable income, the differences in agricultural mechanization intensity, the regional population differences, and spatial adjacency have an impact on the spatial network of ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The difference in the level of agricultural economic development, the rural per capita disposable income, and the differences in agricultural mechanization intensity are negatively correlated, while the regional population differences are positively correlated with spatial adjacency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the continuous progress of China's agricultural reform, the development of characteristic agriculture is an important field of agricultural development in the country and even the world. Yunnan has unique advantages in geography, location, climate, and human resources, and has unique conditions for the development of agriculture with plateau characteristic. However, the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is affected and restricted by many factors. How to promote the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is an important research topic, and it is also the main purpose of this study. Therefore, through literature analysis and investigation, this study studies the advantages and disadvantages, development status, main problems, countermeasures and suggestions, macro development direction, and theoretical research methods of characteristic agriculture in the Yunnan plateau. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and the Adversarial Interpretation Structure Modeling Method (AISM) and proposes to combine the two models to make up for each other and improve the accuracy of model analysis. On this basis, a set of identification and evaluation systems of factors affecting the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic is established, which can comprehensively and accurately identify and evaluate various influencing factors, and provide a scientific basis for the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic. Finally, combined with the relevant statistical data of Yunnan Province from 2009 to 2020 and many results calculated by the model, the factors affecting the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that transportation, environment, and insurance support factors are the root factors that affect the sustainable development of agriculture with plateau characteristic, while the regional economy, scientific and technological support, and the development of agricultural enterprises are of high importance. Financial support, the level of agricultural mechanization, the quality of labor, and other factors can not be ignored. Finally, according to the results of the analysis, the corresponding policy recommendations are put forward to provide a reference for the sustainable development of plateau characteristic agriculture in Yunnan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the new challenges and crises facing agriculture, digitalization and green transformation have become important ways to solve the problems. This paper uses an international economics perspective to chart a new path for sustainable agricultural development. Specifically, it analyzes whether two-way international direct investment (FDI) can facilitate agricultural digital-green fusion(DGF)? Using a sample of 31 provinces (autonomous regions) from 2012 to 2021, this study finds: (1) Two-way FDI can significantly contribute to agriculture's DGF. (2) In the mechanism test, it is proved that two-way FDI can promote agriculture's DGF level by promoting green technology innovation capacity and overall regional technology innovation capacity. (3) The positive effects of two-way FDI are prominent in the eastern and central regions, coastal regions, and economically developed areas. (4) In the spatial Durbin model, the local two-way FDI growth improves agriculture's DGF level in the surrounding areas to a certain extent. The government is advised to prioritize openness, foster an environment for technological innovation, leverage spatial radiation for agricultural DGF, and advance digitally empowered agricultural modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the whole life cycle theory, the carbon effect of three different sizes of high-standard basic farmland construction projects is measured and analysed. The results show that the carbon emissions generated during the construction of high-standard basic farmland projects and the carbon absorption capacity at the later stage are different for projects of different sizes. The carbon emissions of different scales of high-standard basic farmland projects will increase during the construction stage. The results of carbon effect changes in the later operation and management stage show that the high-standard basic farmland construction projects will help reduce the carbon emissions of the field ecosystem where the farmland is located and increase its carbon sink capacity after the completion of construction, which is more obvious in larger projects. The emission reduction and carbon sequestration capacity of the farmland after remediation are improved to different degrees, which is more conducive to the ecological development of agricultural production and ecological environmental protection in the relevant areas. The study contributes to the green development of farmland, which is of some significance for the sustainable development of agriculture in Tianjin and the whole country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the traditional evolution model studies the regional distribution of agricultural parks, the relationship between regions is not clear enough, which leads to the lack of generality of regional distribution. In order to solve this problem, this study adopts the methods of topological division and cluster analysis, establishes the model of regional diversity and evolution of farms, and clusters the spatial information of agricultural parks. According to the feature factors, the images are classified, and the image dimension values are reduced. The data space is divided into cellular space by the method of network topology structure division, and the effective coefficient of each cell is calculated, and the spatial structure and characteristics of agricultural parks are extracted to reveal the similarities and differences between different parks. The experimental results show that the evolution model of agricultural parks constructed by topological division and clustering method shows obvious clustering characteristics in space, and the relationships among the factors are good. It is proved that the model can describe the spatial differences and evolution trends of agricultural parks more accurately, so as to provide more targeted suggestions for the planning, management and sustainable development of agricultural parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The graphene family of materials is of great interest due to its remarkable properties. At present, the world's agriculture is gradually transforming into a sustainable circular developmental system, opening up new production and economic models. The treatment of agricultural waste has become a key step in the development of agricultural recycling. Graphene and its derivatives are carbon-based nanomaterials composed of carbon atoms that can be converted from agricultural waste that is rich in carbonaceous cellulose. At present, more and more studies show that using agricultural waste as the precursor raw material for biomass graphene and its derivatives is the best choice for making low-cost and high-quality graphene materials. Current research aims to recycle renewable resources, foster the growth of agricultural recycling, and manufacture high-value materials, thereby boosting the commercial potential of the graphene family and the agricultural economy. This review examines the inventive development of techniques and technological routes for the fabrication of graphene and its derivatives from agricultural waste. The practical applications of graphene and its derivatives prepared on the basis of agricultural waste are presented and how they can contribute to the recycling of agriculture is discussed. The commercial development of bio-based graphene and its derivatives is also analysed and its prospects discussed. This paper provides ideas for the more effective preparation of graphene and its derivatives, and provides directions for promoting the development of agricultural recycling and the application and commercialisation of graphene and its derivatives. [Display omitted] • Summarised preparation of carbon-based materials from agricultural waste. • Agricultural wastes and graphene combined to promote circular agriculture. • Methods of preparing graphene from agricultural waste are outlined. • Introducing systematically graphene's application in circular agriculture. • Views and suggestions on combining of graphene and circular agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling coordination of agricultural technology innovation with food security is of great significance for high-quality agricultural development. By identifying the coupling coordination relationship between the two systems and the influencing factors, this paper aims to promote the virtuous cycle of coordinated development between regional agriculture and technology, as well as accelerate the realisation of high-quality development of Chinese agriculture. Therefore, this paper explores the spatial and temporal coupling characteristics of the two using the entropy value method, coupling coordination degree model, and exploratory spatial data analysis, and it screens for important influencing factors using the grey correlation model. The main results show that ① the coupling coordination relationship between agricultural technology innovation and food security in China is at a dissonant stage, but the value of the coupling coordination degree increases from 0.2076 to 0.3437 during the period of study, and the level of coordination gradually improves. ② The degree of coupling coordination in the provincial space exhibits a distribution pattern of "high in the east and low in the west". The areas of high value are primarily situated in the provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, and other provinces along the southeastern coast of China, while the areas of low value are mainly located in the provinces of Qinghai, Ningxia, and other provinces in inland northwest China. ③ The Moran's index of provincial coupling coordination is greater than 0, showing a certain positive correlation, and there is a significant pattern of spatial aggregation. ④ The correlation coefficients between the influencing factors and the degree of coupling coordination are all greater than 0.35, indicating a moderate or high correlation, but the significance of technological support capacity and food distribution security increased over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable development is defined as a form of development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. The increasing importance of sustainable development is beginning to show itself in the education curriculum. One of the most important goals pointed out by UNESCO, it is important that school administrators, who are the most important actors of education, have educational knowledge, skills and attitudes for sustainable development. In this research, it is aimed to evaluate the opinions of school administrators in vocational high schools on sustainable development goals and to determine the deficiencies in this subject and to contribute in this direction by collecting the necessary data for taking the right steps. Qualitative research methods were applied in the research, and 15 school administrators working in Northern Cyprus vocational high schools participated in the research. The semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher was used for data collection. The data obtained in the research were analyzed with the content analysis method. As a result of the research, it is seen that school administrators have knowledge about sustainable development. Among the opinions of school administrators who put forward their views on the 17th article of sustainable development, providing equal rights to the society, providing economic contributions, providing access to clean water and energy, recycling, ensuring the sustainability of agricultural development, and cooperation with stakeholders come to the fore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the role of the agricultural sector in the development of the Ukrainian economy, it is important to find methods to improve the efficiency of its operation. Since one of them is the introduction of a circular economy, the study of cases of its application in the country is relevant. The purpose of the study was to show an example of the implementation of this concept in Ukraine, depicting the advantages and disadvantages of its application. The main research methods were analysis, comparison, and forecasting. The most significant example of implementing the principles of circular economics at the enterprise, namely the company Myronivsky Hliboproduct, was evaluated. It was shown that the company's approach is based on processing waste into biogas and using it as energy. This process not only helps to avoid increasing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, but also makes much more efficient use of the available resources. In addition, the features water recycling and existing trends in this area were described. Special attention was paid to the difficulties that the company faced during the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, and what actions were taken to improve the situation. Conclusions were also drawn about the likely opportunities for the company to achieve its goals in the context of the circular economy, considering current trends in the development of Ukraine. The practical value of the study lies in its usefulness for developing recommendations for enterprises to implement the concept of a circular economy. In addition, data from the study can be used by state representatives to improve the effectiveness of policy implementation in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is affected due to the impact of climate change on soil, land, water and the atmosphere. Agriculture is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, directly or indirectly. The challenge lies in the reduction of emissions without impacting food production and yield. With the increase in air temperature and extreme events of rainfall as the probable indicators of climate change, there can be impacts on various components of the agroecosystem, which include crop yield, soil quality, pest and disease infestation, crop loss, irrigation water demand, etc. This will, in turn, impact food security. The development of novel adaptation techniques and strategies for agriculture and surveillance of resources is needed to tackle the adverse effects of climate change. This article discusses the impacts of climate change on various components of the agroecosystem and how to achieve resilience for sustainable development. Various national-level programmes for climate change resilience in agriculture have been implemented in India to incorporate climate information into agricultural development by integrating climate services into practices and policies for future food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is a strategic sector of the national economy; it contributes a large percentage of the gross domestic product, with a value of about 14.2%. Also, the agricultural sector also plays an important role in absorbing a large portion of Egyptian employment estimated at about 25% of Egypt's total labor market. Agricultural products contribute about 17% of total Egyptian merchandise exports to foreign markets, which makes the agricultural sector one of the important national income resources. The research aims to study the impact of the agricultural sector on Egyptian national security, and build a proposed strategy for agricultural development in the economic field, using the descriptive analysis and the deductive methods. The study concluded that, the relationship between agriculture and national security is represented in the impact of agriculture on the national economy, and thus the economic dimension affects the rest of the dimensions of national security, which in turn affects the national security of the country. This study showed that, despite the internal and external challenges and global crises, Egypt is able to achieve food security. Also, some suggested policies or recommendations of the development of the agricultural sector in Egypt were concluded. And God Almighty believed when He made food and security the best blessings, as He says in His decisive Book (the Holy Quran) Who has fed them from hunger and made them safe from fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial-temporal distribution information on global crop production is of is crucial for studying global food security and promoting sustainable agricultural development. However, the presently available datasets related to this subject are characterized by coarse resolution and discontinuous time spans. To tackle these problems, we have integrated multiple data sources, including statistical data, gridded production data, agroclimatic indicator data, agronomic indicator data, global land surface satellite products and ground data, to develop a data-driven crop production spatial allocation model, and generated the first global temporally continuous 10km resolution gridded production dataset of four major crops (maize, wheat, rice and soybean) from 2010 to 2020 (Global gridded crop production dataset at 10km, GGCP10). A set of data-driven models were trained based on agro-ecological zones to achieve accurate predictions of crop production for different agricultural regions. The performance of the models is demonstrated by the cross-validation results. The accuracy and reliability of GGCP10 have been evaluated from various perspectives using gridded, survey and statistical data. GGCP10 can reveal the spatial-temporal distribution patterns of global crop production and contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms driving changes in crop production. GGCP10 provides crucial data support for research on global food security and sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the performance audit regarding the management of the agricultural sector subsidy funds in order to determine to what extent the actions undertaken boosted the agricultural development process in the Republic of Moldova. The analysis revealed that the activity of subsidizing agriculture is primarily aimed at increasing competitiveness and the sustainable development of the agri-food sector. This situation leads to the modernization of the agri-food chain, facilitating access to capital markets for agricultural producers, adapting to climate changes and mitigating their effects on agricultural production, increasing rural employment opportunities, developing agricultural businesses, etc. The data on the subsidy activity were taken from the database of the Agency for Intervention and Payments for Agriculture from the Republic of Moldova, which is responsible for managing the subsidy fund. The results of the study highlight a fairly efficient management of financial means for subsidizing the national agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's food security largely depends on the stability of agri-business worldwide, but mainly in the main producing countries of agri-food products. The purpose of the study is to determine the current realities and opportunities for the development of agrarian business in Ukraine in crisis conditions for the development of effective strategies and promising growth of the agrarian sector. Research methods: monographic, abstract-logical methods, method of analogies and comparisons, systematic approach, statistical and graphic methods. In the course of the study, it was determined that in 2022, a significant number of agricultural enterprises suffered losses as a result of the system challenges. The loss of 15-20% of cattle, pigs, and poultry, and the loss of production facilities and animal husbandry complexes led to a reduction in production in both the crop and animal husbandry sectors. The article highlights the exogenous and endogenous risks of the functioning of the agricultural sector. Internal risks include loss of production and resource potential of the agricultural sector; the liquidation of a significant number of agrarian business enterprises; change of specialization due to significant economic losses; loss of part of the infrastructure facilities for storage and primary processing of agricultural products; difficulty in selling products to foreign markets. Exogenous risks are described, in particular, the reduction of investments in agricultural production, problems with the purchase and import of fertilizers and plant protection products into the country, and delays in the purchase of modern agricultural machinery. It was noted that the presence of the listed external risks will have a negative impact on the country's economy and food security. The actions of the government for the sustainability of agrarian business are described, namely, the restoration of the export of agricultural products by sea, the development of alternative logistics networks for export, solving the problems of the seed company, and providing the possibility of special credit programs and tax holidays. The main problematic issues that the government needs to solve to ensure the stability of the agrarian business and the possibility of its further effective functioning are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural green development is an essential direction for global sustainable agriculture. The academic literature, however, needs to place greater emphasis on studying the factors influencing agricultural green development performance and how such performance can be improved. A theoretical framework for agricultural green development performance was constructed in this paper using the Super-SBM model, which considers undesirable outputs, to measure the agricultural green development performance of 330 cities at or above the prefecture level in China (excluding Tibet Autonomous Region, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of China) from 2007 to 2018. Furthermore, the influencing mechanism of agricultural green development performance was then analyzed using a spatial econometric model. The results show that: 1) from 2007 to 2018, China's agricultural green development performance experienced three stages of evolution: 'rise, decline and rise'. 2) The regions with high performance agricultural green development are mainly distributed in eastern China, northeastern China, and southern Qinghai Province. 3) The agricultural economic level, industrialization process, and labor quality play significant roles in promoting local agricultural green development performance, while such performance is obviously inhibited by the openness level and the government's environmental regulations. Local agricultural green development performance is significant inhibited by the agricultural economic level and accelerated industrialization process in neighboring cities, while significantly promoted by the agricultural industrial structure in neighboring cities. Some suggestions for improving agricultural green development performance are proposed based on these research results, which can provide scientific references for promoting sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Enhancing grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice is of great importance for sustainable agricultural development. Little effort has been made to increase grain yield and NUE of direct‐seeded rice under the double‐cropping system in South China. Field trials were conducted during 2018–2020 with four treatments, including nitrogen‐free, farmers' fertilization practice (FP), 'three controls' nutrient management (TC), and simplified and nitrogen‐reduced practice (SNRP). Results: Grain yield under SNRP averaged 6.46 t ha−1 during the three years and was 23.0% higher than that of FP but comparable to that of TC. Recovery efficiency (REN), agronomic efficiency (AEN), and partial factor productivity (PFPN) of nitrogen under SNRP increased by 12.0–22.7%, 159.3–295.0% and 94.6–112.5% respectively compared with FP. Harvest index and sink capacity increased by 7.3–10.8% and 14.9–21.3% respectively. Percentage of productive tillers (PPT) and biomass after heading increased by 24.0% and 104.5% respectively. Leaf nitrogen concentration at heading and nitrogen accumulation after heading increased by 16.3% and 842.0% respectively. Grain yield was positively correlated with PPT, sink capacity, harvest index, biomass and nitrogen accumulation after heading, REN, AEN, and PFPN. Conclusion: Grain yield and NUE under SNRP were superior to those under FP and comparable to those under TC. Increase in sink capacity, higher PPT, more biomass and nitrogen accumulation after heading, and greater harvest index were responsible for high grain yield and NUE in SNRP with reduced nitrogen fertilizer and labor input. SNRP is a feasible approach for direct‐seeded rice under a double‐cropping system in South China. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting rural environmental planning is an important measure to optimize the allocation of spatial resources, balance economic development and ecological protection, and realize the green transformation of agriculture and rural areas. It is a specific starting point to address the current problems that are hindering increasing farmers′ income, and agricultural development and rural stability, in order to realize the coordinated development of living, ecological, and agricultural environments. It is also an inevitable requirement for realizing the rural revitalization strategy and promoting the green and sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. At present, rural development is subject to the drawbacks of the development of China ′ s urban-rural dual structure, in which long-term industrialization and urbanization have given rise to a series of significant problems, including rural aging, pollution, and emptying, and have become key bottlenecks to green sustainable development. Therefore, in order to achieve the necessary planning requirements, this paper deconstructs all elements of the current rural environmental planning process as a systematic overall plan, defines the development orientation and objectives of the current policy system, elucidates the basic connotation of rural environmental planning, and proposes a theoretical system of rural environmental planning, which includes agricultural, human settlement, and ecological environments. In the context of rural environmental planning alongside green development, our analysis identified problems and shortcomings in current practices, including a lack of connection between different types of rural environmental planning, a lack of scientific and technological innovation, and a lack of understanding with regards to new development concepts. To address these issues, problem-oriented corresponding solutions and management approaches are put forward to provide theoretical and policy support for the better construction of rural ecological environments and the realization of rural green development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving agricultural energy efficiency is essential in reducing energy consumption and achieving agricultural sustainable development. This paper aims to measure the agricultural total-factor energy efficiency in China rather than the partial-factor energy efficiency while taking full account of regional heterogeneity and to investigate the driving factors of agricultural total-factor energy efficiency. The empirical results showed that the average value of agricultural total-factor energy efficiency is 0.814 in China, and the technological gap ratio is 0.853. The regional difference in agricultural total-factor energy efficiency was quite obvious. Higher agricultural energy inputs are associated with higher agricultural total-factor productivity. The total value of potential agricultural energy savings in 30 provinces of China reached 1704.41 billion tons of standard coal. In terms of the absolute amount of agricultural energy saving, the amount was largest in the low-energy-input area, which was 113.87 million tons of standard coal, accounting for 66.81% of the total potential saving amount. Furthermore, we used the Tobit model to analyze the influencing factors of agricultural total-factor energy efficiency. We found that the proportion of agriculture to GDP has a positive impact on agricultural total-factor energy efficiency, while the per capita income of farmers, fiscal support for agriculture, the illiteracy rate of farmers, agricultural labor input, and agricultural capital stock have a negative impact on agricultural total-factor energy efficiency. Finally, we proposed policy implications in terms of agricultural technological progress, agricultural infrastructure, technical training, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green development is an inevitable trend in the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, and promoting the green development of agriculture has always been an important measure for China's sustainable growth. However, due to the influence of diverse regional environments and the wide range of landscapes in China, a largely agricultural country, China is facing ongoing challenges in improving the overall level of agricultural green development and narrowing regional differences, which has recently garnered worldwide attention. This study aims to measure and analyze the agricultural green development level of 30 provinces in China (Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are not included in the target areas of this research due to a lack of data). Here, we applied GIS technology, an entropy-TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) model, quantitative analysis methods such as global spatial autocorrelation analysis, coldspot and hotspot analysis, and a spatial Durbin model to construct measurement models and index systems, after which we performed a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of China's agricultural green development level. Furthermore, the present study also analyzed the factors that influence agricultural green development in China. The present study demonstrated that: (i) between 2005 and 2020, China's overall level of agricultural green development exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with significant improvement and enhancement in most provinces. However, the overall level of China's agricultural green development remains low, and differences at the provincial level are particularly prominent, with the main regions displaying the following descending development pattern: Eastern > Central > Western regions. (ii) The level of China's agricultural green development shows clear signs of spatial aggregation, characterized by spatial dependence and heterogeneity. Although this phenomenon is gradually weakening over time, the high levels of agricultural green development in the eastern regions and low levels in the western regions are likely to persist in the near future. (iii) Green agricultural structure, technology supply, agricultural mechanization level, and arable land area are the key factors influencing China's level of agricultural green development. Among these factors, technology supply, agricultural mechanization level, and arable land area have the largest direct impact, whereas green agricultural structure has a positive spatial spillover effect on the level of agricultural green development. Technology supply has both a positive direct impact and a negative indirect impact on the level of agricultural green development. Therefore, further improving technology supply and agricultural mechanization level can directly promote China's agricultural green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modernization of agriculture is conducive to building a solid foundation for rural industrial revitalization, consolidating the foundation for rural talent revitalization, enhancing food security guarantee capabilities, and promoting rural ecological revitalization. It is an important lever to help rural revitalization start a new era. In the context of the new era, the development of agricultural modernization empowers rural revitalization, mainly undertaking the important tasks and missions of ensuring the supply security of food and important agricultural products, promoting the steady growth of farmers' income, promoting the organic connection between small farmers and modern agriculture, and empowering rural sustainable development. In order to fully leverage the empowering effect of agricultural modernization on rural revitalization, it is necessary to consolidate the foundation of modern agricultural industry to improve the supply guarantee level of food and important agricultural products, vigorously developing rural digital industries to stimulate the internal driving force of agricultural modernization development, strengthen the new agricultural management entities to empower small farmers to organically connect with modern agriculture, improve rural infrastructure to enhance the level of rural modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is essential to adhere to the optimization of national land use development patterns and the green development policy for achieving ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. This paper used the undesirable output SBM model to measure the green development efficiency of 36 prefecture-level cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2019. It also used the Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (FsQCA) method to explore the complex influence mechanism of the linkage of various influencing factors on the efficiency of green development. The results showed that: ① The green development efficiency of the restricted development zones in the whole basin showed an overall fluctuation and upward trend, and the green development efficiency of various regions in the basin varied significantly. The downstream restricted development zones had the highest green development efficiency, followed by the middle stream restricted development zones, with the upstream restricted development zones having the lowest efficiency. ② The areas with high green development efficiency in the restricted development zones of the whole basin changed from cluster distribution to contiguous distribution, the effective efficiency areas changed from being concentrated in the upper and middle reaches to the middle and lower reaches of the areas, and the green development efficiency of the restricted development zones on the southern bank of the Yellow River was significantly higher than that of the areas on the northern bank. ③ Each of these factors--the level of economic development, urbanization, environmental regulation, degree of trade openness, advanced industrial structure, and investment in science and education--could not singularly become a necessary condition for promoting the formation of high green development efficiency in the restricted development zone of the Yellow River Basin. ④ Four models were identified as those that could promote green development efficiency in the restricted development zones in the Yellow River Basin. In terms of the different types of cities, the 'environmental regulation + export-oriented economy' linkage model could promote the green development efficiency of agricultural cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. The linkage model of 'basic dynamic + environmental regulation + export-oriented economy + industrial upgrading' could promote the green development efficiency of resource-based cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. The two models of 'export-oriented economy + industrial upgrading' linkage and 'basic dynamic + industrial upgrading + science and education investment' linkage could promote the green development efficiency in the old industrial bases in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. Based on the perspective of configuration association, this paper provides policy suggestions for promoting green development in agricultural cities, resource-based cities, and old industrial base cities in the restricted development zones of the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of modern agriculture, China has increasingly attached importance to the protection and development of agricultural cultural heritage, but it has encountered severe challenges in reality. By analyzing the connotation and current situation of agricultural cultural heritage, to address the issues faced by China, such as imbalanced theoretical and practical development, difficulty in grasping the boundaries of protection and development, inadequate research and management mechanisms, large funding gaps, lack of talent, and insufficient international influence, targeted solutions are proposed based on relevant information and literature. This aims to strengthen the protection, activation, and inheritance of agricultural cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is to predict the further development of the market price of farmland in Czechia. As part of this goal, the environmental and socio-economic factors affecting the quantity and quality of farmland and, subsequently, the amount of its market price will be discussed. In addition to the quality of the farmland, the market price of individual plots of land is influenced by a number of other factors, such as the size and shape of the plot, location, erosion risk, the concluded usufructuary lease agreements, competition from buyers in the vicinity, and other factors. The average market price of farmland in Czechia was 29.4 CZK/m2 in 2021, which represents an increase of 16.1% against the amount of 25.3 CZK/m2 in 2020. According to the results of the statistical analysis, it is possible to assume a constant increase in the prices of farmland precisely because of the ever-decreasing area of land intended for agricultural production. Another factor for the increase in prices can be increased inflation. In 2027, market prices for farmland could reach up to 40 CZK per m2. Nevertheless, Czechia is among the countries with the lowest market price of farmland; the price is even lower than in neighboring Poland or Spain. This also contributes to the fact that the market prices of farmland in Czechia are increasing at a relatively fast pace every year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research aimed at addressing the trends, challenges, and opportunities in agricultural economics. The constant development in agricultural economics warrants a better understanding of such changes to help with effective decision making in agriculture. Consecutively, a review of literature has enabled the research to identify three trends; organic farming, agroforestry, and climatesmart agriculture. The research used secondary data and primary data when conducting the thematic analysis. The findings from the analysis revealed that opportunities such as consumer demand, profitability, and government subsidies motivated the farmers into undertaking sustainable practices. Meanwhile, the challenges such as time constraint, farm size, and access to equipment and expert skills acted as barriers that prevented the farmers from adopting sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the agricultural sustainable development is one of the core objectives of agricultural comprehensive development (ACD), and the core of agricultural sustainable development lies in enhancing agro-ecological efficiency (AEE). Based on inter-provincial panel data from 2003-2017, the AEE was measured by a unexpected super-efficient SBM model. From the perspective of investment scale and investment structure, the impact of investment scale in ACD on AEE was examined using a panel econometric model, then characterizing the investment structure by the proportion of government funds in the investment of ACD, examining the non-linear relationship between investment structure of ACD and AEE seeking a reasonable proportion of government expenditure. Finally, a spatial econometric model was constructed to test the spatial spillover effect of the scale and structure of investment in ACD on AEE. Results showed that: (i) AEE of China is on the rise overall, but the efficiency level is still low and there is large scope for improvement. (ii) Due to the inefficient use of funds and the lag in the transformation of agricultural benefits, the scale of investment in ACD has a significant negative impact on AEE in the current period. (iii) The impact of investment structure of ACD on AEE presents a significant “inverted N” relationship, and the optimal proportion of government fund investment structure is 76.71%. The reasonable structure of investment in ACD at different food functional areas shows differences. (iv) After considering the spatial effect, the impact of ACD remains robust, but the spatial spillover effect prolongs the time lag of this impact of investment scale and starts to have a positive impact in the 2nd year after the investment. Guarantee the investment scale in ACD, reduce financial redundancy, establish a cooperation mechanism between ACD and agricultural ecological protection in neighboring areas, and increase the introduction of private capital can achieve sustainable development of agricultural economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of agriculture and tourism heavily depends on agricultural resources, and in turn, it can also contribute to agricultural sustainability. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2008 to 2019, the relationship between agriculture and tourism integration and sustainable agricultural development is empirically analysed using the fixed effect model, system GMM model and spatial Durbin model. Results are as following: (1) The level of sustainable agricultural development (SADL) and the level of integration of agriculture and tourism (ATL) increase steadily during the study period, presenting obvious spatial agglomeration characteristics. (2) ATL has a positive impact on SADL. So improving the integration of agriculture and tourism can contribute to promoting sustainable agricultural development. (3) SADL of the previous period has a significant influence on the level of SADL of the current period, showing strong path dependence and inertia effects. Even so, the integration of agriculture and tourism is still effective in promoting the sustainable development of agriculture. (4) The effect of ATL on SADL has a spatial spillover effect. That is, the integration of agriculture and tourism in a region can promote sustainable development of agriculture in its neighbouring provinces. Based on the above findings, this paper proposes policy recommendations for the integral development of agriculture and tourism and promotion of the sustainable development of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable agriculture is widely used to develop international and national policies for the sector. The European Green Deal, which promotes stable food supply, guarantees revenues for farmers and green living environment. Overcoming rural deprivation is usually the central topic of its implementation. The path to sustainable agriculture requires a holistic approach, considering the complexity of social, economic, cultural, technical, and environmental aspects. In this paper we explore the main preconditions to sustainable development of the agricultural sector in Bulgaria based on select indicators, structured in three main groups: economic, social and environmental. We prioritize certain critical challenges, matching them with appropriate interventions with a great potential for impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, crop pattern criteria have been evaluated relying on sustainable development to increase agricultural water productivity. Seven criteria were selected as the main environmental and economic criteria and were prioritized and reviewed for important and strategic products in the Tajan catchment of Mazandaran province. Criteria prioritization was done using optimization through a genetic algorithm with an objective function based on sustainable development. Then, physical and economic productivity indices were calculated to determine the productivity value. Based on the results, in the selection of the crop pattern, firstly, the category of economic criteria and finally the category of environmental criteria have been given attention to the farmers in the current situation. But in the genetic optimization algorithm, all priorities have a similar order from the environmental point of view and then from the economic point of view although each product has its order of criteria. By this prioritization, the parameters of the cultivated area, the volume of water consumed, and the amount of chemical fertilizers have decreased on average by 26%, 34%, and 21%, respectively, and the parameters of product performance and profitability have increased by 43% and 61%, respectively. In addition to providing environmental standards and increasing sustainable development, this prioritization causes an average increase in physical productivity by 84% and an increase in economic productivity by 72%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plentiful and diverse Organic wastes such as green, food, pruning and landscaping waste necessitate upon effective and efficient recycling strategies such as composting. In this article, for the first time, machine learning (ML) models have been applied to model compost generation rate as a function of climatic parameters and organic waste content. The data size contained approximately 864 sample points records of the meteorological parameters (Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis), organic waste (Central Pollution Control Board) and compost yields (Open Government Data) data for 2010–2021. The modelling efforts involved the consideration of MLP and traditional ML algorithms namely k-nearest neighbour (kNN), gradient boosting (GB) and random forest (RF) for prediction and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model supplemented ML models for long-term forecasting of the compost generation rate. Model validation resulted in an RMSE of 0.757 and R2 of 0.99 for GB model, and a correlation index of 0.68 between observed and predicted values to thereby outperform all other models. However, forecasted data for ten years after the predicted outcomes resulted in the best performance of ARIMA–MLP model with a standard error of 21.1152 and a CP yield of 74,958 kg. Thereby, the findings affirm upon the evidence for the limitations of the broader application of the empirical approaches and the feasibility of ML algorithms as a potential reconstruction technique for developing robust and accurate region-specific compost prediction and forecasting models to assist integrated circular agricultural system development for a sustainable global future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural green circulation is an important measure to promote agricultural green development through green circulation in the entire agricultural industry chain and an indispensable link to achieve agricultural green development in the entire economic system. It is of great significance to explore the internal dynamic mechanisms of agricultural green circulation from the perspective of the industrial chain. In the mechanism of agricultural green circulation, the dual role of farmers in the circulation of agricultural products and information transmission effectively connects the government and consumers. The three parties restrict each other and promote the realization of the goal of maximizing their respective interests at the same time. In the tripartite game model of government, farmers, and consumers, the differences of game environment and participants' own situation tend to have an impact on the equilibrium result of the game. By deducing and comparing the equilibrium results of tripartite game models under different game environments, this study finds that: 1 The promotion cost of the government is the fundamental factor that determines its competitiveness in the sales of agricultural products. Local governments with promotion cost advantages tend to be more dominant in any game environment. 2 The absolute cost of farmers is irrelevant, and its relative cost affects the game result by changing the farmers' concerns about the matching state of agricultural products. 3 Asymmetric subsidy information can benefit farmers, but it will not change farmers' concern about the matching state of agricultural products, which is not conducive to consumers and local governments with inferior promotion costs. Local governments should fully consider the promotion cost, subsidy cost, and market effect, and comprehensively promote the development of agricultural green circulation by improving management efficiency, governance ability, and public opinion guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】 Rocky desertification was a major ecological problem in southwest China, which restricted agricultural development. Exploring the relationship between the ecological effect of rocky desertification control measures and agricultural development was of great significance for adjusting agricultural structure scientifically and promoting sustainable development of rocky desertification areas. 【Method】 The study selected 46 prefectures (cities) in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan in southwest China in 2005, 2010 and 2018 as the research objects. Comprehensive Evaluation method and Coupling Coordination Degree model were used to analyze the spatial and temporal variation of agricultural development levels and the effect of ecological remediation of rock desertification in the investigated regions in the past 13 years. The spatial autocorrelation model was used to explore the spatial correlation pattern of their coupling coordination degree. 【Result】 From 2005 to 2018, the remediation effect of rocky desertification in 46 prefectures (cities) of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces showed four patterns: Continuous increase, continuous decline, first increase and then decrease, first decrease and then increase. The high values were concentrated in the central parts of Sichuan and Yunnan, and the low values were concentrated in Guizhou province, showing a decreasing pattern from west to east; The agricultural development levels showed that three development patterns: Continuous increase, continuous decrease, first increase and then decrease. Spatially, the high values were concentrated in the middle of Sichuan province, while the low values were mainly distributed in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, showing the situation of high in the middle and low in the periphery. The coupling coordination degree between the ecological remediation effect of rocky desertification control and agricultural development were between 0.585 and 0.790, both of which were in the coordination stage. In terms of temporal changes, the coordination degree of 11 prefectures (cities) such as Qujing and Zunyi gradually improved, 4 prefectures (cities) such as Kunming showed slight degradation, and the rest prefectures (cities) did not change. In terms of space, the coupling coordination degree of Chengdu, Ya’an and other central regions in Sichuan and Kunming, Yuxi and other central regions in Yunnan was stable and high, showing the characteristics of high in the middle and low around. There was a positive spatial correlation between the ecological remediation effect of rocky desertification control and the coupling coordination degree of agricultural development in each state (city).Moran′s I value increased first and then decreased, and the overall change decreased from 0.315 to 0.218. The prefectures (cities) with local correlation were mainly distributed in central parts of Yunnan, Sichuan and western Guizhou, including 23 prefectures (cities) such as Chengdu. 【Conclusion】 There was a significant coupling and coordination relationship between the ecological remediation effects of rock desertification control and agricultural development in regions of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, but there was still some space for improvement. In addition, the spatial differences were large, and the coupling coordination degree of underdeveloped regions was low and remote. In the future, it can be considered to promote the coordinated progress of all regions from the aspects of policy-making, resource input and so on. The results could provide scientific basis for the formulation of agricultural development strategy and prevention strategy of rocky desertification in southern China, and might be helpful in rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and land resources are the core elements of agricultural development, and their matching situation and degree of utilization determine agricultural sustainability and food security in China. In order to promote the optimal allocation of agricultural water and land resources in China, based on the statistical data for the 31 provinces in the mainland of China from 2000 to 2020, this study dynamically evaluated the matching degree of agricultural water and arable land resources according to the generalized agricultural water and land resources matching index and Gini index, determined the agricultural water and land resources zoning by integrating their matching degree and the utilization condition. The results showed that: 1) During the study period, there was a large gap between the distribution of irrigation water and arable land in China, with the mean Gini index calculated as 0.424, and the matching situation had deteriorated. The distribution of generalized agricultural water resources and arable land resources was relatively reasonable, with the mean Gini index calculated as 0.360, and the change was relatively stable. Great differences on the matching degree existed between provinces and geographic areas. The matching conditions in North China, Northeast and Northwest were "more land and less water", and the matching conditions in East China, Central China and Southwest were "more water and less land”. The average values of the generalized agricultural water and land resources matching index were 2.06 for Guangdong and 1.02 for Yunnan, presenting the lowest and highest matching degrees among the provinces, respectively. The variation in the generalized agricultural water and land resources matching index increased with the value of the matching index, and the values of the matching index were related to the share of precipitation, showing a first increasing and then decreasing trend with the increase of the share of precipitation. 2) The utilization degree of agricultural water resources fluctuated with the abundance and decline of water resources from 2000 to 2020.The spatial heterogeneity of agricultural water and land resources utilization was obvious, with the reclamation rate generally "high in the southeast and low in the northwest" and the utilization degree of agricultural water resources "high in the north and low in the South". Especially, the reclamation rates in Henan and Shandong were more than 40%, while those in the northwest were less than 10%. And the utilization degrees of agricultural water resources in Tianjin (78%) and Hebei (74%) were higher than the development and utilization limit in 2020. 3) The agricultural water and land resources zoning in 11 provinces had changed from 2000 to 2020. The allocation of water and land resources in Jilin, Xinjiang and Jiangsu provinces deteriorated to the type of low matching high utilization zoning, while the allocation of water and land resources in Beijing improved to the type of high matching low utilization zoning. The main reason for the zoning changes was the change of matching degree for Xinjiang and Jiangsu and the changes in the utilization degree of water and land resources for Beijing and Jilin. As of 2020, 5 provinces, including Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Jilin and Xinjiang, belonged to the type of low matching and high utilization zoning, presenting the worst allocation of water and land resources, while 8 provinces, such as Beijing, Shaanxi, Sichuan and Qinghai, belonged to the type of high matching and low utilization, presenting good allocation of water and land resources. The results can provide support for the relevant decision making of the optimal allocation of agricultural water and land resources in China and are of great significance to achieve national food security and agricultural sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome editing is an important strategy to maintain global food security and achieve sustainable agricultural development. Among all genome editing tools, CRISPR-Cas is currently the most prevalent and offers the most promise. In this review, we summarize the development of CRISPR-Cas systems, outline their classification and distinctive features, delineate their natural mechanisms in plant genome editing and exemplify the applications in plant research. Both classical and recently discovered CRISPR-Cas systems are included, detailing the class, type, structures and functions of each. We conclude by highlighting the challenges that come with CRISPR-Cas and offer suggestions on how to tackle them. We believe the gene editing toolbox will be greatly enriched, providing new avenues for a more efficient and precise breeding of climate-resilient crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key trend for future agricultural growth is efficient, green and sustainable high-quality development, and it is crucial to sort out the factors influencing high-quality agricultural development. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to dissect whether environmental regulation has a catalytic effect on quality rural development, through which paths it is driven and whether there is a threshold effect to be further clarified. Method: In this study, the panel data of 34 provinces in China from 2012 to 2018 are used, and 17 variables are used to construct an evaluation index system, covering four dimensions: agricultural endowment, agricultural output level, agricultural green degree and social sustainability. The high-quality development of agriculture is measured by entropy method. And further, using a baseline regression model and a mediating effects model, we empirically investigated the impact of environmental regulation on high-quality agricultural development and its mechanism of action, and empirically assessed the nonlinear effects of environmental regulation using a threshold regression model. Results: Environmental control, as noted in the study, considerably assists in the establishment of high-quality agriculture; at the same time, large-scale land management plays a role in mitigating the influence of both. There is a single income threshold impact on rural households between high-quality agricultural growth and environmental regulation, and once that threshold is reached, the influence of high-quality agricultural growth grows. Contribution: According to the research findings, recommendations are made for the design of scientific environmental regulation policies, the establishment of a sound service system for large-scale rural land management, and the establishment of a stable mechanism for rural residents to sustain their income, in order to strengthen the effect of environmental regulation and realize high-quality agricultural growth in China. The marginal contribution of this paper is to enrich the study of the relationship between environmental regulation and high-quality agricultural development, which has theoretical and practical implications for promoting sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to enhance green development within the agricultural sector, the National Key R&D Program of China entitled “Research and Development of Comprehensive Prevention and Remediation Technology for Farmland Contaminated by Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollutants and Heavy Metals”deployed an industry-centered innovation incentive program that funded a total of 35 projects spanning basic research, technical research and development, and technique application and demonstration. By 2022, all 35 projects had passed comprehensive performance appraisal, produced an abundance of research and development achievements, and carried out extensive technique applications and demonstrations. Hence these projects have provided considerable technical support for prevention and control of agricultural non-point source pollution and heavy metal contamination in China. Based on project management experience, the authors identified the main techniques, their effects, and summarized the particular mechanisms by which the projects promote industrial innovation. We aim to provide this information to guide green development within the agricultural sector supported by scientific and technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review investigates the effects of the Brazilian agriculture production and forestry sector on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Residual biomasses produced mainly in the agro-industrial and forestry sector as well as fast-growing plants were studied. Possibilities to minimize source-related emissions by sequestering part of carbon in soil and by producing biomass as a substitute for fossil fuel were extensively investigated. The lack of consistency among literature reports on residual biomass makes it difficult to compare CO2 emission reductions between studies and sectors. Data on chemical composition, heating value, proximate and ultimate analysis of the biomasses were collected. Then, the carbon sequestration potential of the biomasses as well as their usability in renewable energy practices were studied. Over 779.6 million tons of agricultural residues were generated in Brazil between 2021 and 2022. This implies a 12.1 million PJ energy potential, while 4.95 million tons of forestry residues was generated in 2019. An estimated carbon content of 276 Tg from these residues could lead to the production of approximately 1014.2 Tg of CO2. Brazilian biomasses, with a particular focus on agro-forest waste, can contribute to the development of sustainable alternative energy sources. Moreover, agro-waste can provide carbon credits for sustainable Brazilian agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-out war prompts an urgent search for food security. Looking ahead, we also seek ways and means of sustainable development for the agricultural sector. In reviewing promising activities for farmers that can be implemented within the next 5 years, each individual approach is considered from technological, financial, and legal angles, and guidelines are developed for the agricultural enterprises of the near future. Despite the daunting challenges, agribusiness in Ukraine has great prospects through adoption of precision agriculture, zero tillage, and diverse cropping systems; high-quality products in tune with international standards, including substantially more organically grown products; digital literacy and new technical solutions; and more resilient logistics. Of course, all depend on a secure knowledge base and proper financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]