Lahore Garrison University, Lahore 2 University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
J Environ Manage. 2024 Nov;370:122665. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122665. Epub 2024 Sep 27.
The agriculture sector, being highly vulnerable to climate change, plays a pivotal role in achieving green and sustainable economies. As the 2030 Agenda emphasizes the integrated development of environmental, social, and economic dimensions, it is crucial to understand how agricultural practices affect sustainability. This study investigates the environmental impact of the agricultural sector on the green economy by examining key environmental factors, such as agricultural energy emissions, environmental taxes, irrigated water use efficiency, fertilizer use, and pesticide application. The analysis is conducted using the Panel Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (QARDL) model, with robustness checks performed through the comparison with the Panel ARDL model, using data from 2000 to 2020. To assess the green economy, an index is constructed based on 20 indicators related to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The results show that agricultural energy emissions, despite their environmental cost, are positively associated with green economy development, highlighting the trade-off between high productivity and environmental degradation in a resource-efficient economy. Improved water use efficiency is found to enhance agricultural sustainability and production. Additionally, environmental taxes and regulations exert a significant positive effect on both environmental preservation and social welfare. Contrary to the belief that reducing agricultural production will lower carbon emissions, the study suggests that adopting environmentally friendly practices and imposing targeted taxes are more effective strategies. The findings also reveal a negative relationship between excessive fertilizer use and the green economy, indicating the need for minimal fertilizer application to promote sustainability. The study concludes with specific policy recommendations. Governments, particularly in countries that have not yet adopted sustainable agricultural practices, should implement environmental taxes and regulations to promote carbon neutrality and support the Sustainable Development Goals. These measures are essential to balancing economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity in the agricultural sector.
农业部门对气候变化高度敏感，在实现绿色和可持续经济方面发挥着关键作用。由于 2030 年议程强调环境、社会和经济维度的综合发展，因此了解农业实践如何影响可持续性至关重要。本研究通过考察农业能源排放、环境税、灌溉水利用效率、化肥使用和农药施用等关键环境因素，探讨了农业部门对绿色经济的环境影响。该分析采用面板分位数自回归分布滞后（QARDL）模型进行，通过与面板 ARDL 模型的比较进行稳健性检查，使用了 2000 年至 2020 年的数据。为了评估绿色经济，根据 20 个与环境、社会和经济可持续性相关的指标构建了一个指数。结果表明，尽管农业能源排放对环境造成了成本，但它与绿色经济发展呈正相关，这突出了资源高效经济中高生产力与环境退化之间的权衡。提高水利用效率被发现可以增强农业可持续性和生产力。此外，环境税和法规对环境保护和社会福利都有显著的积极影响。与减少农业生产将降低碳排放的观点相反，该研究表明，采用环保实践和征收有针对性的税收是更有效的策略。研究结果还揭示了过度化肥使用与绿色经济之间的负相关关系，表明需要最小化化肥使用以促进可持续性。研究最后提出了具体的政策建议。政府，特别是在尚未采用可持续农业实践的国家，应实施环境税和法规，以促进碳中和并支持可持续发展目标。这些措施对于在农业部门实现经济增长、环境可持续性和社会公平之间的平衡至关重要。
