Mechanism and Effect of Digital Economy on Green Utilization Efficiency of Cultivated Land—Taking the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Anhui Region as an Example

At present, under the dual strategic demands of digital economic development and green transformation of cultivated land, the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Anhui region, as a key area simultaneously facing the pressure of cultivated land quality degradation and the heavy responsibility of food security, has made the deep integration of digital technology and cultivated land utilization an urgent issue. This study takes 40 prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui as subjects and uses panel data from 2013 to 2023. The Super-SBM model and entropy method are employed, combined with approaches such as the instrumental variable method, spatial econometric models, and the Tobit econometric model, to empirically examine the impact of the digital economy on the green utilization efficiency of cultivated land and analyze its spatial heterogeneity characteristics. Overall, the findings indicate that (a) the study develops an integrated framework across driving, input, output, and emission dimensions; (b) the digital economy significantly enhances the green utilization efficiency of cultivated land, and this effect remains robust after addressing endogeneity and conducting multiple sensitivity checks; (c) the promotional impact exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity, showing a clear inter-provincial gradient (Zhejiang > Jiangsu > Anhui) and significant divergence among cities within provinces. The digital economy development enhances the green utilization efficiency of cultivated land through multiple pathways. It is imperative to implement differentiated policies and establish a coordinated development framework for the three provinces to foster the synergistic development of the digital economy and green agriculture.