Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture: Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Agricultural Resilience
Si-Meng Zhang, Han Zhang, Fengjie Xie, Dongli Wu
Abstract
[Introduction] Climate change is a serious global challenge that is currently being faced and could intensify in the future. The resulting climate risks will have varying degrees of impact on sustainable agricultural development. To cope with climate change and achieve sustainable agricultural development, there is an urgent need to enhance agricultural resilience. [Methods] This paper employs fixed effects modeling to explore the impacts of climate change on agricultural resilience (production, economy, society, and ecology) using China’s regional data and examines the moderating roles of digital finance and agricultural infrastructure in the relationship between the two. [Results] The findings indicate the following: first, climate change has a negative impact on agricultural resilience, which constrains sustainable agriculture; second, both digital finance and agricultural infrastructure can mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural resilience; and third, the heterogeneity analysis further reveals that agricultural resilience in grain functional areas and regions with low levels of agricultural industrial integration is more significantly affected by climate change. [Discussion] Climate change threatens sustainable agriculture as the frequency of extreme climate events increases. Assessing the impact of climate change on agricultural resilience is of profound strategic significance for promoting sustainable agriculture, addressing climate risks, and ensuring food security. Policymakers should take adequate measures to strengthen agricultural resilience, including promoting digital finance in agriculture and increasing targeted infrastructure investments for vulnerable areas.