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Progress towards sustainable intensification in China challenged by land-use change

Author

Listed:
  • Lijun Zuo

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zengxiang Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Kimberly M. Carlson

    (University of Hawai’i)

  • Graham K. MacDonald

    (McGill University)

  • Kate A. Brauman

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Yingchun Liu

    (State Forestry Administration)

  • Wen Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Huayong Zhang

    (North China Electric Power University)

  • Wenbin Wu

    (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

  • Xiaoli Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xiao Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Bin Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ling Yi

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qingke Wen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Fang Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jinyong Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Shunguang Hu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Feifei Sun

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • James S. Gerber

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Paul C. West

    (University of Minnesota)

Abstract

China is experiencing rapid land-use change and shifts in farm management. However, the interactive effects of these drivers on cropping system sustainability are unclear. Here, we evaluate spatio-temporal trade-offs among crop production and five key environmental indicators, including land use, water consumption, excess nitrogen and phosphorous use, and greenhouse gas emissions in China. From 1987 to 2010, as crop kilocalorie production increased (+66%), so did the total environmental impact of all indicators (+1.3–161%) except greenhouse gas emissions (−18%). Concurrently, environmental intensity—impact per kilocalorie produced—decreased for all indicators (−51–−13%) except excess phosphorus (+57%). Despite substantial loss and displacement of cropland to urban expansion, counterfactual scenario analysis indicates that farm management explained >90% of changes in crop production and environmental impact. However, cropland is expanding in regions of relatively high land and irrigation intensity. Although efficiency gains partly compensated for increased environmental pressures, continued geographic shifts in cropland could challenge progress towards agricultural sustainability in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Lijun Zuo & Zengxiang Zhang & Kimberly M. Carlson & Graham K. MacDonald & Kate A. Brauman & Yingchun Liu & Wen Zhang & Huayong Zhang & Wenbin Wu & Xiaoli Zhao & Xiao Wang & Bin Liu & Ling Yi & Qingke , 2018. "Progress towards sustainable intensification in China challenged by land-use change," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(6), pages 304-313, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:1:y:2018:i:6:d:10.1038_s41893-018-0076-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-018-0076-2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ke, Xinli & Chen, Jing & Zuo, Chengchao & Wang, Xiaoqian, 2024. "The cropland intensive utilisation transition in China: An induced factor substitution perspective," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    2. Qiu, Bingwen & Li, Haiwen & Tang, Zhenghong & Chen, Chongcheng & Berry, Joe, 2020. "How cropland losses shaped by unbalanced urbanization process?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    3. Qiu, Bingwen & Jian, Zeyu & Yang, Peng & Tang, Zhenghong & Zhu, Xiaolin & Duan, Mingjie & Yu, Qiangyi & Chen, Xuehong & Zhang, Miao & Tu, Ping & Xu, Weiming & Zhao, Zhiyuan, 2024. "Unveiling grain production patterns in China (2005–2020) towards targeted sustainable intensification," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    4. Ze, Fu & Wong, Wing-Keung & Alhasan, Tariq kamal & Al Shraah, Ata & Ali, Anis & Muda, Iskandar, 2023. "Economic development, natural resource utilization, GHG emissions and sustainable development: A case study of China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. repec:ags:aaea22:335650 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Funk, Bryana & Amer, Saud A. & Ward, Frank A., 2023. "Sustainable aquifer management for food security," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    7. Wang, Li & Liu, Xiaoli & Liu, Xuejing & Bao, Xiaoyuan & Zhang, Xuecheng & Yin, Baozhong & Wang, Wentao & Wang, Yandong & Zhen, Wenchao, 2024. "Effects of spring limited irrigation on grain yield and root characteristics of winter wheat in groundwater-overexploitation areas in the North China Plain," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    8. Han, Bo & Jin, Xiaobin & Sun, Rui & Li, Hanbing & Liang, Xinyuan & Zhou, Yinkang, 2023. "Understanding land-use sustainability with a systematical framework: An evaluation case of China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    9. Langong Hou & Che Ma & Tao Liu, 2024. "Revealing Greenhouse Gas Emission and Nitrogen Fertilizer Destination: A Case Study in Chengdu Plain Cultivation Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-19, July.
    10. Chen, Feifei & Qiu, Huanguang & Zhao, Yilin & Wei, Xun & Wan, Xiangyuan, 2024. "Impact of new maize variety adoption on yield and fertilizer input in China: Implications for sustainable food and agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    11. repec:ags:aaea22:337098 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Quanfeng Li & Zhe Dong & Guoming Du & Aizheng Yang, 2021. "Spatial Differentiation of Cultivated Land Use Intensification in Village Settings: A Survey of Typical Chinese Villages," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-18, March.
    13. Huang, Jing & Ridoutt, Bradley G. & Thorp, Kelly R. & Wang, Xuechun & Lan, Kang & Liao, Jun & Tao, Xu & Wu, Caiyan & Huang, Jianliang & Chen, Fu & Scherer, Laura, 2019. "Water-scarcity footprints and water productivities indicate unsustainable wheat production in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 1-1.
    14. Pan, Hengyu & Zheng, Xiangyu & Wu, Rui & Liu, Xincong & Xiao, Shijiang & Sun, Lu & Hu, Tianzi & Gao, Ziyan & Yang, Liping & Huang, Chengyi & Zhang, Xiaohong & Deng, Shihuai & Xiao, Yinlong, 2024. "Agriculture related methane emissions embodied in China's interprovincial trade," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    15. Yaqiu Zhu & Bangyou Zheng & Qiyou Luo & Weihua Jiao & Yadong Yang, 2023. "Uncovering the Drivers and Regional Variability of Cotton Yield in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, November.
    16. Shi, Shanheng & Zhou, Shiwei & Lei, Yongdeng & Harrison, Matthew Tom & Liu, Ke & Chen, Fu & Yin, Xiaogang, 2024. "Burgeoning food demand outpaces sustainable water supply in China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    17. Zhou, Yang & Zhong, Zhen & Cheng, Guoqiang, 2023. "Cultivated land loss and construction land expansion in China: Evidence from national land surveys in 1996, 2009 and 2019," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    18. Li Li & Zhichao Chen & Shidong Wang, 2022. "Optimization of Spatial Land Use Patterns with Low Carbon Target: A Case Study of Sanmenxia, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-22, October.
    19. Yuling Fang & Shixin Wu & Guanyu Hou & Weiyi Long, 2024. "Spatiotemporal Changes and Driving Mechanisms of Cropland Reclamation and Abandonment in Xinjiang," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, September.
    20. Hongyu Wang & Xiaolei Wang & Apurbo Sarkar & Fuhong Zhang, 2021. "How Capital Endowment and Ecological Cognition Affect Environment-Friendly Technology Adoption: A Case of Apple Farmers of Shandong Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-16, July.
    21. Li, Wenchao & Guo, Shufang & Liu, Hongbin & Zhai, Limei & Wang, Hongyuan & Lei, Qiuliang, 2018. "Comprehensive environmental impacts of fertilizer application vary among different crops: Implications for the adjustment of agricultural structure aimed to reduce fertilizer use," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 1-10.
    22. Xiang, Mingtao & Yu, Qiangyi & Li, Yan & Shi, Zhou & Wu, Wenbin, 2022. "Increasing multiple cropping for land use intensification: The role of crop choice," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).

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