This paper examines the impact of climate variability on agricultural production in 12 Moroccan regions, differentiating between rain-fed and irrigated crops. Using a spatial panel data model over 1999-2019, we analyze the impact of climatic and economic variables on three main crops: cereals, market gardening and rosaceous plants, while taking into account spatial autocorrelation and regional heterogeneity. The results highlight the sensitivity of various crops to variations in temperature and precipitation, revealing significant spillover effects due to omitted variables or shocks not observed in a spatial pattern. Thus, rainfall has a positive impact on rain-fed cereals but a negative impact on irrigated crops, underlining the inefficiencies of irrigation techniques and the need for sustainable water management. Irrigated rosaceae crops show high temperature sensitivity, underlining the urgency of climate-resilient agricultural practices. This finding underscores the urgent need for targeted regional public policies rather than standardized national policies to mitigate the effects of climate variability on Moroccan agriculture and ensure its long-term sustainability.

Studying the policy effectiveness and impact process of the high-standard farmland construction (HSFC) on the green agricultural development (GAD) provides reference for sustainable development of agriculture. Based on the quasi experimental conditions for the sub regional promotion of China’ s HSFC policy and making use of the balanced panel data from 2004 to 2022 in China, this article diagnoses the level and evolution characteristics of GAD in China, empirically tests the effects of the China’s HSFC policy on the GAD level by the continuous difference-in-differences (DID) model, and then further analyzes the mediating roles of horizontal agricultural production division and land management scale efficiency. The research results indicate that (1) the GAD level of China continues to improve form 2004 to 2022; (2) the HSFC policy has been positively influencing the GAD level, and has gone through a significance level test of 0.01; (3) further study reveals that the HSFC policy promotes the GAD level primarily through the agricultural green technology progress (AGTP) and the agricultural green efficiency change (AGEC), with the AGTP being the main contributor; and (4) the HSFC policy positively influences the GAD level by enhancing horizontal agricultural production division and land management scale efficiency. To improve the level of GAD, it is essential to continuously optimize policy for the HSFC, promote the AGTP and the improvement of the AGEC, and effectively improve the horizontal agricultural production division level and land management scale efficiency.

Agricultural production trusteeship, through a “service-driven large-scale operation,” provides a new pathway for improving agricultural production efficiency and reducing resource waste. Based on micro-survey data from farmers in Shandong Province, and employing a research approach that combines theoretical and empirical analysis, this study reveals the mechanism by which agricultural production trusteeship impacts agricultural production efficiency. The research finds that agricultural production trusteeship has a significant positive effect on agricultural production efficiency, and this conclusion remains robust even after accounting for endogeneity issues. Agricultural production trusteeship enhances agricultural production efficiency by strengthening economies of scale, with indirect effects from economies of scale accounting for 45.63% of the total effect on agricultural production efficiency. Under full trusteeship, economies of scale become more pronounced, with the indirect effects reaching 51.23%. This study also demonstrates that the pathway of “land transfer → large-scale operation → economies of scale → agricultural production efficiency” is not the only route. The “service-driven large-scale operation” model under agricultural production trusteeship has significant potential to improve efficiency, reduce resource waste, and better fit the context of China’s smallholder economy. The paper provides policy recommendations for promoting agricultural trusteeship services, including developing context-specific trusteeship models, strengthening the role of village collectives, and increasing subsidies for agricultural machinery and equipment to trusteeship service organizations, in order to promote sustainable agricultural development and enhance resource use efficiency.

Investigating the spatio-temporal trends in agricultural green production level and proposing pathways to improve it can offer valuable insights for promoting the green, low-carbon, and sustainable development of China’s agriculture, as well as contributing to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Therefore, in order to investigate the spatio-temporal variations in agricultural green production level and its driving factors, and explore pathways to improve it in the major grain-producing areas of China, a new multi-dimensional framework for estimating the agricultural green production level was proposed, and based on the OLS regression and scenario prediction, the agricultural green production levels from 2012 to 2030 were estimated. The findings indicate that from 2012 to 2021, the agricultural green production level in the major grain-producing areas experienced a consistent annual increase. The average annual value for the agricultural green production level was recorded at 0.443. At a spatial scale, the agricultural green production level exhibited a pronounced regional pattern, showing higher levels in the central and eastern areas, while lower levels were noted in the northeastern and western regions. The actual utilization of foreign capital and the per capita disposable income of farmers positively influenced the agricultural green production level. In contrast, factors such as the proportion of the secondary industry, the proportion of the tertiary industry, and the urbanization rate negatively affected this level. From 2022 to 2030, the agricultural green production level is expected to demonstrate a gradual growth trend under the baseline scenario, although the rate of growth is expected to decrease over time. Conversely, under the green and sustainable development scenario, a notably significant growth trend in agricultural green production level is projected. However, under the rapid economic development scenario, it is estimated that the agricultural green production level will initially increase slowly before peaking in 2026 and then experiencing a decline. With the aim of ensuring the ongoing enhancement of agricultural green production level objectives, the major grain-producing areas should proactively encourage inter-provincial collaboration in agricultural green production, vigorously attract foreign investment to facilitate the advancement of green production technologies, promote the harmonious integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural regions, and improve farmers’ income.

IntroductionAs an effective tool and public welfare product of the state to support and benefit agriculture, policy-oriented agricultural insurance has unique advantages in dispersing agricultural risks and guaranteeing stable grain production and supply.MethodsBased on provincial panel data from 2002 to 2021, this paper analyzes the impact of policy-oriented agricultural insurance on grain production resilience. It constructs a comprehensive indicator system to assess grain production resilience and examines the impact of the insurance premium subsidy policy and the insurance development level on grain production resilience.ResultsThe study finds that policy-oriented agricultural insurance significantly improves grain production resilience and passes the robustness test. The heterogeneity analysis shows that the policy-oriented agricultural insurance development level in major grain producing areas has a significantly positive impact on grain production resilience, and the impact is higher than that in non major grain producing areas. Additionally, the impact of policy-oriented agricultural insurance on grain production resilience in high risk areas is more pronounced than that in low risk areas. At the same time, the mechanism analysis shows that policy-oriented agricultural insurance can have a positive impact on grain production resilience by improving agricultural technology progress, land transfer, and grain cultivation specialization.DiscussionThis paper reveals that policy-oriented agricultural insurance has a positive impact on grain production resilience and provides relevant policy suggestions for the government. This has a considerable impact on promoting sustainable grain production.

Abstract Studies on agricultural diversification in Brazil have gained greater notoriety in recent years, and it is a research topic that requires further exploration to understand how this variable relates to other agricultural indicators, particularly production, especially in regions with highly particular climates, such as the Brazilian Northeast. This study evaluates the relationship between agricultural diversification and medium-term rainfall in the northeastern microregions and agricultural production, considering possible spatial effects. The methodological strategy included estimating panel data and spatial panel models for the micro-regions of the Brazilian Northeast, considering the years 2006 and 2017. The database consisted of information from the Agricultural Census, the Municipal Agricultural Survey, and data from the University of East Anglia. In general, agricultural diversification showed an inverse relationship with agricultural production, and medium-term rainfall proved to be a variable highly related to agricultural production.

In the modern global environment, there is a trend of increasing and changing the structure of demand for agricultural sector products. This situation requires a market-oriented approach from agricultural producers, ranging from economic entities to individual farms. Serbia’s agricultural policy is characterized by short-term, ad hoc measures, which prevent predictions and timely adjustments by producers, leaving participants in the market chain uncertain about their long-term orientation. In the total value of agricultural production in 2023, crop production accounted for 69.8%, while livestock production accounted for 30.2%, whereas in developed EU countries, the ratio of crop to livestock production is reversed. This indicates a significant share of low-value-added production, or production with a low level of processing. This paper analyzes the state of Serbia’s agricultural sector, which is under pressure from poor agricultural policies, numerous internal weaknesses, and insufficient financial resources in an unstable geopolitical environment.

IntroductionThe relentless focus on maximizing production has exacerbated ecological challenges, including agricultural surface pollution, soil crusting, and farmland degradation, which increasingly threaten sustainable development. Agricultural green production technologies are essential for balancing food security with environmental sustainability.MethodsThis study examines the role of organizational support in fostering farmers’ adoption of agricultural green production technologies, using survey data from 1,426 rice farmers in Jiangxi Province, China. Ordered logit and moderated mediation models reveal a robust positive effect of organizational support on agricultural green production technology adoption, even after addressing endogeneity concerns.Results and discussionThe findings highlight that the effect of organizational support is more pronounced among farmers with agricultural insurance and those primarily engaged in farming. Mechanistic analysis shows that operation scale partially mediates the relationship between organizational support and agricultural green production technology adoption, accounting for 7.76% of the total effect. Furthermore, social capital acts as a positive moderator, amplifying the impact of organizational support on the operation scale and, subsequently, on agricultural green production technology adoption. These results underscore the need to enhance organizational support measures, promote moderate-scale farming, and cultivate social capital as critical strategies for advancing green agricultural practices.

[Objective] The rapid contraction of agricultural production space poses a threat to national food security, ecological safety and social stability. Clarifying the pattern and mechanism of agricultural production space contraction is of great significance to the high-quality development of agriculture and rural revitalization. [Methods] Based on the actor-network theory, this paper constructed a theoretical analysis framework for the agricultural production space contraction in mountainous areas. Taking Lishi Village in Longde County as an example, it used methods such as in-depth interviews and remote sensing interpretation to sort out the evolution process of the agricultural production space in the mountainous areas of southern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and explore the underlying contraction mechanism. [Results] The study found that: (1) The translation of actor networks at different stages, the entry and exit of heterogeneous actors within the networks, and the transformation of the actor networks goals comprehensively contributed to the contraction of agricultural production space through the combined effects of human and non-human actors. (2) During the transformation of the actor network in Lishi Village, the key actor changed from the local government to the young labor force, and the obligatory point of passage (OPP) changed from “returning farmland to forest and grassland” to “developing specialty farming to maximize economic income”. (3) The agricultural production space in Lishi Village has gone through two stages: explicit contraction under the ecological objective and implicit contraction under the economic objective. (4) The contraction of agricultural production space in mountainous areas follows the mechanisms of environmental logic, policy-driven logic, and multi-subject logic. [Conclusion] To address the contraction of agricultural production space contraction in mountainous areas, it is necessary to innovate the mode of agricultural production and management, rationally balance the relationship between environmental carrying capacity and agricultural development, innovate the policies of ecological compensation and agricultural benefit, and accelerate the cultivation of new types of business entities such as elderly-friendly agriculture and professional farmers.

The participation of smallholder farmers in agricultural production outsourcing through organizational means is of significant importance for enhancing agricultural production capacity and promoting agricultural modernization. Based on survey data from 648 households in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi Province, this study analyzes the incentives for smallholder farmers to obtain credit guarantees provided by village collectives and grassroots supply and marketing cooperatives using a Logit model. It employs the Propensity Score Matching method to construct a counterfactual hypothesis, estimating the average treatment effect of credit guarantees on smallholder farmers’ organizational participation in agricultural production outsourcing. The study also uses regression adjustment methods to verify the mechanism through which credit guarantees affect smallholder farmers’ organizational participation in agricultural production outsourcing. The results show that: (1) Apart from the gender, education level, and number of plots of the household head, other characteristics of the household head and family, village, and market characteristics are important factors influencing smallholder farmers’ access to credit guarantees. (2) After obtaining credit guarantees, the participation of smallholder farmers in agricultural production outsourcing through organizational means significantly increases. (3) The pathways through which credit guarantees promote smallholder farmers’ organizational participation in agricultural production outsourcing, in order of contribution rate, are increasing agricultural income, reducing operational risks, and enhancing organizational trust. Therefore, support for village collectives and grassroots supply and marketing cooperatives should be increased, and organizational forms should be promoted to facilitate the integration of smallholder farmers with agricultural modernization.