Abstract:

The integrated development of “digitization” and “low-carbon” is the main driving force for the steady promotion of high-quality development in agriculture and rural areas. In this study, the panel data from 11 provinces of the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2009 to 2020 were selected, and the effect of the mechanism of agricultural digital development on low-carbon agricultural development by individual fixed effect model was explored. The study showed that the development level of agricultural digitization has a significant effect on the development of low-carbon agriculture, and the conclusion is robust after the replacement variable method, excluding the municipality sample and the explained variables lag behind the first phase of treatment. Through heterogeneity analysis, it was shown that the promoting effect of agricultural digital development level on the development of low-carbon agriculture is mainly reflected in the upper reaches, lower reaches, major grain producing areas and non-grain producing areas of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, among which agricultural digitization has better carbon reduction effect in the lower reaches and non-grain producing areas. Accordingly, the relevant countermeasures and suggestions to improve the level of agricultural digital development are put forward to boost the development of low-carbon agriculture.

Key words: agricultural digitization, carbon emissions, low carbon