Toward sustainable crop production in China: A co-benefits evaluation

Abstract

Crop production is critical in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, but it may lead to various environmental concerns, such as soil and water contamination, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aims to account the overall sustainability of crop production by applying emergy analysis and evaluate corresponding GHG emissions by applying carbon footprint analysis. Key factors affecting both the overall sustainability and GHG emissions of crop production were uncovered by using Kaya identify and Logarithmic Mean Divisa Index (LMDI) methods. China is selected as the case study country due to its large scaled crop production. The study period is from 2000 to 2015, a period of rapid crop development. The results show that the overall sustainability of China's crop production decreased due to increasing non-renewable resource inputs, especially in Tibet and Inner Mongolia, while the total carbon footprint increased by 10.92% due to straw burning and fertilizer application. Driving factors analysis results show that crop productivity, land use intensity and agricultural population were key positive factors influencing the overall sustainability and carbon footprints of Cina's crop production, while crop productivity was one negative factor. Policy recommendations were raised to facilitate sustainable crop production and respond to climate change challenges.