Balancing agricultural production and environmental sustainability: Based on Economic Analysis From North China Plain

Abstract

The escalating trend of greenhouse gas emissions presents a dual threat to both food security and the exacerbation of global warming. Addressing this pressing issue demands concerted efforts on local and global scales to champion sustainable food production and foster environmental benefits. In 2015, a pivotal field experiment was conducted in the North China Plain, aiming to delineate the intricate balance between agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship. This study comprised eight meticulously designed treatments, incorporating two key components: the evaluation of economic and environmental parameters encompassing carbon footprint, energy consumption, and the carbon sustainability index. Notably, while the carbon sustainability index exhibited improvement, it also revealed a 9.4% increase in emissions compared to the baseline, underscoring the nuanced trade-offs involved. The findings underscored the efficacy of no-tillage (NT) practices coupled with soybean-based crop rotation, mitigating yield reduction compared to conventional tillage (RT). However, the optimal yield was observed in the RT-MW treatment, amalgamating conventional tillage with minimum tillage practices. Moreover, despite the higher cost associated with soybeans relative to milled wheat, their cultivation yielded a notable increase in net income. These compelling results advocate for the adoption of conservation agriculture as a means to optimize the delicate equilibrium between environmental preservation and economic prosperity. Furthermore, the study underscores the imperative for further research endeavors aimed at devising highly productive agricultural systems that seamlessly integrate environmental sustainability with economic viability, echoing the crucial insights gleaned from analogous contexts.