Quantitative Assessment of Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of Agricultural Development Level in China: A County-Level Analysis

Anna Jiang, Wanshun Zhang (), Feng Zhou, Hong Peng, Xin Liu, Yue Wang and Xiao Zhang
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Anna Jiang: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Wanshun Zhang: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Feng Zhou: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Hong Peng: Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydropower, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Xin Liu: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Yue Wang: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Xiao Zhang: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-20

Abstract: Main Functional Area Planning (MFAP) is a significant initiative in China, aimed at promoting coordinated socio-economic progress while ensuring resource capacity and environmental sustainability. However, there is a lack of quantitative assessments of China’s county-level agricultural development level (ADL) following the implementation of the MFAP. In this study, a coupled “agricultural product-agricultural space-agricultural population” evaluation index system which was based on plan requirements, remote sensing imagery, statistical data, and industry-specific information was proposed for assessing the development level of agricultural after implementing the MFAP, and we utilized the system to evaluate the ADL of 2850 counties across China from 2009 to 2015 at the county level. The results indicate that MFAP has played a positive role in driving agricultural development in China. From 2009 to 2015, the ADL of counties in China showed an upward trend, and the agricultural development within the “Seven regions & Twenty-three belts” reached a high level, with the proportion of the top three districts and counties in the agricultural development zone increasing from 86.78% to 88.72%. The spatial distribution of ADL ratings shows a central > east > northeast > west pattern, with the western regions exhibiting the fastest growth rate. Moreover, targeted policies were provided for pathway optimization and upgrading the level of agricultural development of regions with different levels of development within the seven main agricultural production areas and others.

Keywords: agricultural development; multi-index comprehensive assessment; county level; spatial–temporal changes; regional differences; Main Function Area Planning; policy recommendation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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