Research on the influence of rural digital transformation on agricultural carbon emission intensity: Based on Mechanism Tests

Abstract

This study examines how rural digital transformation impacts agricultural carbon emission intensity, offering insights for synergizing emission reduction and digital rural development. Using the entropy weight method to assess results of digital transformation in agriculture, baseline  regression and mediation models are employed, supplemented by heterogeneity analyses across grain-producing and topographically diverse regions. Results reveal that rural digital transformation  significantly suppresses agricultural carbon emissions, with stronger effects in mountainous areas compared to plains. Emission reduction efficacy varies regionally, showing greater impact in production-marketing balance zones than in primary grain-producing areas and in livestock areas than plantations. Mechanistically, digitization influences emission intensity primarily through industrial restructuring and secondarily via agricultural water-use efficiency optimization. These findings underscore the importance of region-specific digital strategies, enhanced R&D in central/eastern regions, and cross-regional collaboration to leverage digital industrial upgrades. The study provides actionable pathways for tailoring digitalization policies, advancing green technology integration, and fostering sustainable agricultural transformation through targeted spatial planning and institutional innovation.