More Than One Solution: How Environmental Regulation Combinations Enhance China's Agricultural Ecological Efficiency

More Than One Solution: How Combinations of Environmental Regulations Improve China's Agricultural Eco-Efficiency

A Dynamic QCA Analysis Based on Panel Data from 31 Provinces

The green and low-carbon transformation of agriculture is a core issue in the global sustainable development agenda. In China, the resource consumption and environmental pollution pressures caused by long-term extensive production have made improving agricultural eco-efficiency a shared concern for policymakers and industry. A study published in *Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems* (Zhao et al., 2026), based on panel data from 31 Chinese provinces, employed dynamic QCA methods to systematically examine the multiple pathways through which combinations of environmental regulations improve agricultural eco-efficiency.

Research Background and Framework

Traditional agricultural environmental governance has mostly relied on single policy instruments, but administrative orders, market incentives, and public participation each have their own limitations. This study constructs a "government–market–public" analytical framework, treating the three types of environmental regulations as combinable governance resources and examining their configurational effects. The study finds that improving agricultural eco-efficiency does not depend on a single "optimal" instrument but requires the synergistic action of multiple regulatory actors. China's fertilizer application increased by 29.8% between 2000 and 2024, and agricultural non-point source pollution and carbon emissions have become increasingly prominent, highlighting the practical significance of policy mix research.

Key Findings

• No single environmental regulation is a necessary condition for improving agricultural eco-efficiency, but government support occupies a central position.
• Four pathways to high eco-efficiency were identified: government–market–public synergy-driven, government-led, government–market dual-driven, and government–public driven.
• The absence of government–market–public support is the main pathway leading to low eco-efficiency.
• The consistency levels of all pathways generally declined in 2020, possibly affected by the pandemic and economic environment.
• Strong market incentives and public participation can, to some extent, substitute for direct government regulation.

Industry Implications

This study offers insights for agricultural technology and sustainable development industries. Different regulatory combinations will shape differentiated agricultural technology needs. For example, government-led regions have strong demand for agricultural carbon monitoring and environmental compliance technologies; market incentive-oriented regions favor precision fertilization, carbon trading, and related directions; and enhanced public participation will promote food traceability and transparent supply chain technologies. Agricultural technology enterprises should adjust their product strategies with reference to regional regulatory characteristics.

Future Outlook

Over the next 3–5 years, agricultural environmental governance will accelerate its digital transformation. Configurational analysis tools such as dynamic QCA, combined with big data, may become mainstream in policy evaluation. Agricultural AI and the Internet of Things are expected to reduce the costs of regulatory enforcement, and channels for public participation are becoming more diverse. In the context of climate and geopolitical risks facing the global food supply chain, agricultural eco-efficiency is closely related to food security. China's practice of advancing the "dual carbon" goals will provide a reference for other developing countries.

ConclusionThere is no "one-size-fits-all formula" for improving agricultural eco-efficiency. The core contribution of this study lies in demonstrating that the flexibility of policy combinations can substitute for the intensity of a single instrument. From technology to mechanisms, the green transformation of agriculture requires systematic design.

*Original article information: Zhao L., Xia Y., Li X. (2026). Multiple driving pathways to enhance agricultural eco-efficiency through combinations of environmental regulations. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 10, 1792890.*