| Abstract |
Green technology aims to follow the ecological principles and ecological economic laws, save resources and energy, and avoid, eliminate, or reduce the pollution and destruction of the ecological environment. Agricultural green innovation technology provides a new impetus and opportunity to promote the coordinated development of economy, society, and ecological resources. This study investigates the relationship between land-use intensification and agricultural green development and explores the moderating effect of agricultural technological progress on this relationship. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2011 to 2020, land-use intensification was quantified using indices of agricultural capital, labor, and energy intensities, and agricultural green development was assessed using a comprehensive index system. The entropy method, non-linear models, and group regression analyses were employed. Our findings reveal a complex, non-linear relationship between land-use intensification and green agricultural development. Specifically, we identified an inverted U-shaped relationship between capital and energy factor intensification and agricultural green development. This was positively moderated by agricultural technological progress. Conversely, a U-shaped relationship is observed with labor factors, with agricultural technological progress diminishing its positive impact. This study suggests that when a high degree of factor intensification has a crowding-out and substitution effect on agricultural green development, land-use intensification needs to be controlled within an optimal range. This research bolsters the theory of land-use intensification and sustainable agricultural green innovation technology. Furthermore, it advocates a balance between productivity and environmental protection and may guide government strategies to optimize land-use policies and promote green technologies for sustainable agriculture. |