Effect of Zero Growth of Fertilizer Action on Ecological Efficiency of Grain Production in China under the Background of Carbon Emission Reduction

Zhongfang Zhang (), Lijun Hou, Yuhao Qian and Xing Wan
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Zhongfang Zhang: College of Food and Materials, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210003, China
Lijun Hou: School of Business Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210003, China
Yuhao Qian: College of Food and Materials, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210003, China
Xing Wan: School of Business Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210003, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: At present, the problem of non-point source pollution and carbon emissions caused by excessive application of fertilizer is increasingly serious and has caused damage to the ecological environment. The “zero growth of fertilizer use by 2020 action plan” was introduced to solve the related ecological and environmental problems. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 1998 to 2020, this paper used the super efficiency SBM model to measure the ecological efficiency of grain production in China, and further verified the mediating effect of fertilizer application amount on the effect of zero growth of fertilizer on the ecological efficiency of grain production using the mediating effect model. The results showed that (1) zero growth of fertilizer action had a significant effect on the ecological efficiency of grain production. That is, the implementation of zero growth of fertilizer action can help improve the ecological efficiency of grain production. (2) The application amount of fertilizer played a mediating role in the mechanism of the effect of zero growth of fertilizer action on the ecological efficiency of grain production. (3) The implementation of the zero growth of fertilizer action effectively reduced the amount of fertilizer application and reduced fertilizer non-point source pollution and carbon emissions, which improved the ecological efficiency of grain production. According to the results of empirical research, to promote the sustainable development of agricultural production, more relevant ecological and environmental protection policies should be introduced and relevant subsidies should be increased.

Keywords: fertilizer non-point source pollution; carbon emissions; super efficiency SBM; fertilizer zero growth action; ecological efficiency of grain production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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