IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i8p3652-d1637213.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture: Examining the Role of Agricultural Digitalization in Green Development in China

Author

Listed:
  • Ying Meng

    (School of Statistics, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China)

  • Dong Li

    (School of Statistics, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China)

Abstract

Amid the urgent need to align agricultural practices with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study examines the role of agricultural digitalization in promoting sustainable and green development in China. Specifically, it explores demand-side factors that drive improvements in agricultural green development and categorizes development models into three types: market-oriented, policy-driven, and innovation-driven. Utilizing provincial-level data from 2011 to 2021, this study employs semiparametric and spatial Durbin models to empirically assess the effects, underlying mechanisms, and regional disparities of agricultural digitalization in advancing green development. The main findings are as follows: (1) Overall, both agricultural digitalization and the level of green agricultural development have gradually increased during the study period, with agricultural digitalization significantly contributing to sustainable agricultural development. (2) The impact of agricultural digitalization on green agricultural development shows an upward trend in eastern, coastal, and non-grain-producing regions, as well as in the southeastern areas of the “Hu Huanyong Line”. In contrast, inland regions and the northwestern areas of the “Hu Huanyong Line” exhibit a U-shaped relationship, and grain-producing regions experience a clear inhibitory effect. Additionally, the promoting effect of agricultural digitalization is more pronounced in regions with higher levels of green agricultural development. (3) Agricultural digitalization generates positive spillover effects, benefiting not only the local region but also surrounding areas, with a stronger radiative effect on neighboring regions. (4) Mechanism analysis suggests that under all three development models, agricultural digitalization can effectively enhance green agricultural development by improving the alignment of supply and demand for green agricultural products, accelerating the establishment and promotion of green agricultural brands, strengthening environmental regulation, fostering new agricultural business entities, advancing agricultural mechanization, and improving the efficiency of facility agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Meng & Dong Li, 2025. "Digital Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture: Examining the Role of Agricultural Digitalization in Green Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-31, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3652-:d:1637213
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3652/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/8/3652/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, Yang & Huang, Yihan, 2024. "Assessing the interrelationship between fossil fuels resources and the biomass energy market for achieving a sustainable and green economy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    2. Abate, Gashaw T. & Abay, Kibrom A. & Chamberlin, Jordan & Kassim, Yumna & Spielman, David J. & Paul Jr Tabe-Ojong, Martin, 2023. "Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Shen, Zhiyang & Wang, Songkai & Boussemart, Jean-Philippe & Hao, Yu, 2022. "Digital transition and green growth in Chinese agriculture," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    4. Xiaocheng Wang & Chenxi Yang & Cuixia Qiao, 2024. "Agricultural Service Trade and Green Development: A Perspective Based on China’s Agricultural Total Factor Productivity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-23, September.
    5. Xiaoxia Zhai & Yongmin Luo, 2025. "Can Urban Internet Development Attract Labor Force? Evidence from Chinese Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Deng, Haiyan & Zheng, Wangyi & Shen, Zhiyang & Štreimikienė, Dalia, 2023. "Does fiscal expenditure promote green agricultural productivity gains: An investigation on corn production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    7. Abbate, Stefano & Centobelli, Piera & Cerchione, Roberto, 2023. "The digital and sustainable transition of the agri-food sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    8. Hu, Yuanhong & Liu, Jing & Zhang, Shuyu & Liu, Yuxin & Xu, Haixin & Liu, Pengling, 2024. "New mechanisms for increasing agricultural total factor productivity: Analysis of the regional effects of the digital economy," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 766-785.
    9. Li, Xingguang & Zhang, Jianjun, 2024. "Rural digital credit and residential energy consumption: Evidence from the agricultural production perspective," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    10. Zhang, Yudong & Cui, Ruiqing & Wei, Xiaobei & Chen, Tianyong, 2025. "How digital financial inclusion enhances agroecological efficiency: Impact effects and mechanism tests," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    11. Aryan Saxena & Jai Prakash Gupta & Janmejay Kumar Tiwary & Ashutosh Kumar & Saurav Sharma & Gaurav Pandey & Susham Biswas & Krishna Raghav Chaturvedi, 2024. "Innovative Pathways in Carbon Capture: Advancements and Strategic Approaches for Effective Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-32, November.
    12. Tang, Yuhong & Zhao, Qi & Ren, Yuheng, 2024. "Nexus among government digital development, resource dependence, and carbon emissions in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hui Yang & Jingye Li & Stefan Sieber & Kaisheng Long, 2025. "Does Digital Village Construction Affect the Sustainable Intensification of Cultivated Land Use? Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, April.
    2. Lei Zhang & Lili Xu & Mingzi Gao & Mingdong Zhou, 2024. "Can Agricultural Credit Promote the Green Transformation of China’s Agriculture?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Viet Ha Trinh Thi & Wenqi Zhou, 2024. "A Systematic Analysis of the Development of Agricultural Modernization and Its Effect on Crop Production in Northeastern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-12, June.
    4. Chen, Xiaodong & Miao, Zhuang & Wu, Ge & Zhu, Pengyu, 2024. "City-level green growth accounting: Evidence from China's thirteen urban agglomerations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    5. Mengjie Tian & Mingyong Hong & Ji Wang, 2023. "Land resources, market-oriented reform and high-quality agricultural development," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 4165-4197, December.
    6. Yang, Changjin & Qi, Huarui & Jia, Lijun & Wang, Yanjiao & Huang, Dan, 2024. "Impact of digital technologies and financial development on green growth: Role of mineral resources, institutional quality, and human development in South Asia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    7. Ricardo Raineri, 2025. "Power Shift: Decarbonization and the New Dynamics of Energy Markets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-52, February.
    8. Linfang Chen & Huanyu Sun & Shenghui Zhou & Shixing Jiao & Xiao Zhao & Jianmei Cheng, 2024. "Analysis of Resource Misallocation and Total Factor Productivity Losses in Green Agriculture: A Case Study of the North China Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-25, December.
    9. Wei Yu & Huiqin Huang & Xinyan Kong & Keying Zhu, 2023. "Can Digital Inclusive Finance Improve the Financial Performance of SMEs?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.
    10. Ruoxuan Xia & Zhuoming Long & Licong Xing & Yousaf Ali Khan, 2023. "Achieving sustainable development through economic growth, energy consumption, and agricultural productivity in China," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(5), pages 3428-3442, October.
    11. Samuel Eric Kamgang & Olivier Boiral & Laurence Guillaumie & Marie-Christine Brotherton, 2024. "Responsible sourcing in the food industry: a scoping review," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19325-19349, August.
    12. Feng Zhou & Chunhui Wen, 2023. "Research on the Level of Agricultural Green Development, Regional Disparities, and Dynamic Distribution Evolution in China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-47, July.
    13. Zi Tang & Xiaopeng Si & Yan Liang, 2024. "Research on the measurement of high-quality development of tourism: a case study of Heilongjiang Province, China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(10), pages 25027-25047, October.
    14. Qiangyi Li & Xiaohui Zhang, 2024. "Effects of Agricultural Trade on Reducing Carbon Emissions under the “Dual Carbon” Target: Evidence from China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, August.
    15. Gang Wang & Xiaomei Gao & Minggang Fu & Zihao Zhou & Kexin Song & Jie Li, 2024. "Sustainable Corn Stubble Management Is Site Specific: A Study in Northeastern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, August.
    16. Linlin Fu & Jiajun Min & Cheng Luo & Xiaohong Mao & Ziqi Liu, 2024. "The Impact of Digitalization on Agricultural Green Development: Evidence from China’s Provinces," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-18, October.
    17. Kaiwen Ji & Qiaoyun Hou & Yi Yu & Dan Pan, 2023. "Rural E-Commerce and Agricultural Carbon Emission Reduction: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from China’s Rural E-Commerce Demonstration County Program Based on 355 Cities in Ten Years," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    18. Lingui Qin & Yan Zhang & Yige Wang & Xinning Pan & Zhe Xu, 2024. "Research on the Impact of Digital Green Finance on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-23, July.
    19. Hongjuan Zhang, 0000. "Assessing agro-food waste valorization challenges and solutions considering smart technologies: an integrated Fermatean fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach," Proceedings of Economics and Finance Conferences 14416198, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    20. Ramazan Çakmakçı & Mehmet Ali Salık & Songül Çakmakçı, 2023. "Assessment and Principles of Environmentally Sustainable Food and Agriculture Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-27, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3652-:d:1637213. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.