Coupling Coordination of Green Sugarcane Production and Comprehensive Social Development in Chinese Sugar Industry

Abstract

Coordinated development of green production in sugarcane industry and the economy of the main producing areas is vital for scientifically formulating reduction policies for carbon emission and promoting high-quality industrial development. In the present study, the carbon emissions generated in sugarcane planting process were measured, and the green production efficiency along with comprehensive social development of main sugarcane-producing areas was evaluated and coupled to assess the coordination. The results indicated that carbon emission intensity from sugarcane planting in China decreased from 3.0963 tons/ha in 2012 to 2.4863 tons/ha in 2021, a decrease of 19.70%. The green development efficiency has significantly improved, rising from 0.9228 in 2012 to 1.1478 in 2021. The efficiency in Guangdong and Hainan reached its peak in 2021. Notably, the degree of coupling and coordination between green sugarcane production and comprehensive social development has progressively improved, transitioning from low- to high-level coupling and from serious imbalance to high-quality coordination. In 2021, all regions achieved a high degree of coupling and high-quality coordination. Collectively, reduced application policies in China, accompanied by the development of agricultural technology, have led to a progressive decline in carbon emissions from sugarcane planting while simultaneously improving green production efficiency. Besides, a state of mutual promotion and high-quality coordination was observed in green sugarcane production and local comprehensive social development. This study advances the theoretical framework of carbon emissions and offers empirical evidence for the ecological and economic significance of sugar industry.