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Arid Land Geography ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (5): 830-840.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2023.279

• Biology and Pedology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Evaluation and spatial-temporal evolution of negative externalities of rice production in China in the 21st century

ZHOU Rongji1,2(), LUO Lizhuang2, WU Sibin3   

  1. 1. Hunan Provincial Rural Industry Revitalization Research Center, Hengyang 421002, Hunan, China
    2. School of Economics and Management, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang 421002, Hunan, China
    3. Business School, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg 78541, Texas, USA
  • Received:2023-06-12 Revised:2023-12-12 Online:2024-05-25 Published:2024-05-30

Abstract:

Research on the indirect value of rice production has predominantly focused on ecosystem services, often overlooking the importance of negative externalities. Addressing these externalities is crucial for ecological regulation and the promotion of sustainable agriculture. This study employed market valuation and spatial autocorrelation methods to evaluate the negative externality value of rice production in China, using panel data from 2000 to 2021 across various provinces. The analysis covered greenhouse gas emissions, pollution from fertilizers and pesticides, plastic film residue, water resource consumption, and energy pollution from agricultural machinery. The findings reveal that: (1) The mean annual value of negative externalities in national rice production was approximately 2080.27×108 yuan, with the contributions from greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizers, pesticides, plastic waste, water resource consumption, and agricultural machinery energy pollution being 35.93%, 20.71%, 10.27%, 9.04%, 17.44%, and 6.61%, respectively. (2) The total value of negative externalities showed an initial increase followed by a decrease, with 2012 marking a turning point. This trend reflects the impact of new era of ecological control measures. (3) There was significant spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of negative externalities, mainly concentrated to the east of the Hu Line. The annual mean values in rice-producing regions were as follows: central China (1025.45×108 yuan), south China (426.96×108 yuan), southwest China (329.36×108 yuan), northeast China (221.52×108 yuan), and north China (61.99×108 yuan). There was a positive global correlation between external cost values and geographical space, with local spatial autocorrelation evolving from high-high clustering in the southeast to low-low clustering and insignificance toward the northwest. High-high clusters were predominantly found in central and southern rice-growing areas of China, while low-low clusters were mainly in the northern region of China. This paper presents a novel approach to assessing negative externalities in rice production, offering a comprehensive and dynamic global perspective. It also proposes strategic responses involving government, market, and farmer-led initiatives.

Key words: rice production, negative externality, value evaluation, spatial-temporal evolution, ecological control