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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Decoupling
Fertilizer-Driven Agricultural Non-Point
Source Pollution in Southwest China
1
School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,
Nanjing, 210044, P.R. China
2
College of Economics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, P.R. China
3
College of Economics and Management, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, P.R. China
Submission date: 2024-10-07
Final revision date: 2024-12-16
Acceptance date: 2025-01-29
Online publication date: 2025-03-27
Corresponding author
Li Binlin
College of Economics and Management, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, P.R. China
College of Economics and Management, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, P.R. China
KEYWORDS
zero-growth policy in chemical fertilizer usefood securityreduction effectdecoupling effectsouthwest China
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The excessive chemical fertilizer (CF) use has led the Chinese government to adopt a zero-growth
policy for CF use, highlighting the urgent need to develop strategies for the tradeoffs between food
security and soil health practices, particularly in the ecologically sensitive regions of Southwest
China. This study develops a dual-objective assessment framework that integrates advanced analytical
methodologies to investigate key aspects of CF use over the period from 2010 to 2020. Specifically,
this work explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of CF application, quantifies the effects of reduction
measures, examines the relationship between CF use and agricultural productivity, and identifies the
primary drivers of CF-driven pollution. Our findings reveal several key insights: (i) CF application rates
initially experienced a significant increase, followed by a notable decline. The trend was accompanied
by a clear spatial clustering, particularly observed in Yunnan, eastern Sichuan, and Chongqing.
(ii) The implementation of China’s zero-growth policy for CF use has been effective, resulting in an
estimated reduction of approximately 5 million tons in CF use. (iii) A strong decoupling relationship
between CF application and agricultural output has developed since 2015, primarily driven by
the improvements in CF use efficiency and technological progress, which have also contributed
to the reduction in CF application. This research offers valuable insights for regions across China
striving to mitigate the environmental impact of CF while ensuring food security, thereby supporting
the strategies for sustainable agricultural practices.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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