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Improving agricultural green total factor productivity in China: do environmental governance and green low-carbon policies matter?

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Abstract

Strengthening environmental governance and green low-carbon policies is a key measure to improve agriculture green total factor productivity and develop sustainable agriculture. Against this background, this study explores the relationship between agriculture green total factor productivity (AGTFP), environmental governance, and green low carbon policies based on panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2005 to 2019, and the system generalized method of moments model is adopted. The empirical results are as follows: (1) Environmental governance will not only directly affect AGTFP, but also indirectly affect AGTFP by influencing green technology innovation. (2) Environmental governance can strengthen the promotion of green low-carbon policies to AGTFP. (3) There are regional differences in causality among AGTFP, environmental governance, and green low-carbon policies. These empirical results offer Chinese policymakers scientific and normative recommendations for improving AGTFP and develo** sustainable green agriculture.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their kind comments and valuable suggestions.

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This study was supported in part by the National Social Science Foundation of China with ratification number 21BGL022.

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Mengqian Tang: methodology, writing—original draft preparation, reviewing and editing; Andi Cao: methodology, writing—reviewing and editing; Lili Guo: investigation, reviewing and editing; Houjian Li: conceptualization, methodology, writing—original draft preparation, reviewing and editing.

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Correspondence to Houjian Li.

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Tang, M., Cao, A., Guo, L. et al. Improving agricultural green total factor productivity in China: do environmental governance and green low-carbon policies matter?. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 52906–52922 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26090-6

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