The Sustainability of Agricultural Development in China: The Agriculture–Environment Nexus

Jialing Yu () and Jian Wu
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Jian Wu: School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: The article aims to provide an overview of China’s agricultural development and its sustainability by focusing on the agriculture–environmental nexus. We first review literature regarding trends in agricultural development and driving forces. China has made impressive progress at providing food for 22% of the world’s population. At the same time, severe environmental impacts have been incurred which not only affect future food security but also have impacts on other socio-economic aspects. The agricultural policies that have been put into practice have direct or indirect impacts on such environmental outcomes. We review the impacts of agricultural policies as well as conservation policies, their effectiveness, some unintended consequences and conflicts. The article concludes that technology and institutional innovation in China should emphasize more integrated sustainable development considering the agriculture–environment nexus, instead of setting incoherent and sometimes incompatible policy goals for each separate side.

Keywords: agricultural development; environmental impacts; China; sustainability; food security; agriculture–environment nexus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (37)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:6:p:1776-:d:149495

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