Impact of agricultural product brands and agricultural industry agglomeration on agricultural carbon emissions

Abstract

Agricultural carbon emissions pose a significant challenge in combating climate change and achieving sustainable development objectives. These emissions predominantly stem from the decisions made by stakeholders, and the potential economic and social benefits associated with agricultural product brands determine their capacity to influence stakeholder behavior. This study utilizes panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning from 2008 to 2021 to examine the impact of agricultural product brands on agricultural carbon emission intensity and its underlying mechanisms. The findings indicate that: (1) Agricultural product brands contribute to lowering agricultural carbon emission intensity within a region, while also exerting a negative spillover effect on neighboring areas. (2) Agricultural product brands foster a decline in agricultural carbon emission intensity by bolstering the agricultural industry agglomeration. (3) Agricultural scale operation exhibits a threshold effect between agricultural product brands and agricultural carbon emission intensity, with the mitigation effect becoming increasingly pronounced as the threshold range expands. The research findings can offer valuable insights into leveraging the advantages of agricultural product brands to facilitate the reduction of agricultural carbon emissions.