Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis ›› 2025, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (9): 1991-2002.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.20240807

• Agricultural Economy and Development • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Carbon footprint of food consumption by rural residents in China: spatial-temporal pattern and driving factors

QI Huibo1,2(), JI Peng1, ZHENG Qiaoer1, ZHAO Jing1, LONG Fei2,*()   

  1. 1 College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
    2 Zhejiang Rural Revitalization Research Institute, Hangzhou 311300, China
  • Received:2024-09-13 Online:2025-09-25 Published:2025-10-15
  • Contact: LONG Fei

Abstract:

It is important to understand the evolution of the carbon footprint of rural residents' food consumption to explore the emission reduction path from the rural residents' food consumption side. Based on the basic characteristics of rural residents' food consumption, the direct and indirect carbon footprints of rural residents' food consumption were calculted in 30 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) of China excluding Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Xizang from 2001 to 2022. The spatial and temporal patterns and driving factors were analysed by using spatial econometric models. It was found that: 1) Rural residents' food consumption exhibited unbalanced and insufficient development level. The total direct carbon footprint was decreasing in the study period, while the per capita direct carbon footprint was decreasing first and then increasing. 2) There were significant spatial clustering characteristics and spillover effects of rural residents' food consumption carbon footprint in all sample provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities). The spillover effects mainly concentrated in high-high and low-low clusters. 3) The driving factors of the carbon footprint of rural residents' food consumption consisted of population, economy, technology, trade and food consumption structure, and the mechanism on carbon footprint of rural residents' food consumption varied among sample provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities). Based on these findings, there was urgent need to introduce sustainable food consumption policies for rural residents which balanced the nutrition and low carbon goals. Besides, efforts should be made to promote the carbon reduction of rural residents' food consumption in all aspects through price interventions, consumption subsidies, and popularization of science and technology.

Key words: rural residents, food consumption, carbon footprint, spatial-temporal pattern, driving factors

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