Comparison of indicators for agricultural green development and the Sustainable Development Goals,and mapping the way forward

While agricultural green development(AGD)is highly recognized and has become a national strategy in China,it is imperative to bridge the knowledge gaps between AGD and the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),and to evaluate the contribution of AGD to meeting the SDGs.The first aim of this study was to compare the AGD goals and indicators with those of the SDGs so as to identify their relationship.The next aim was to examine the historical evolution of AGD indicators and analyze the gaps between the current status of various indicators and their benchmarks.Limiting factors were identified in China's transition toward AGD.These findings reveal that the indicators of AGD align with those of the SDGs,but have greater specificity to the context in China and are more quantifiable.There has been a significant increase per capita calorie and protein intakes in China,as well as a notable rise in agricultural output per unit of arable land and rural incomes from 1980 to the 2010s.However,these achievements have been accompanied by a high resource use and environmental pollution,highlighting the need for a more sustainable,environmentally responsible agriculture in China.

Optimizing nitrogen management in the food system for sustainable development: a case study of Quzhou County

Nitrogen(N) is an essential nutrient for food production. The rapid increase in population requires high inputs of N to meet the growing food demand. If not managed well, the substantial loss of N from the food system has multiple impacts on grain yield, air and water pollution, and the economic benefits of agricultural. Multi-objective(food security, environmental sustainability and economic sustainability) synergistic consideration of N management in the food system is still lacking. This study employed strategies for optimizing N management in the food system, using Quzhou County as a typical example on the North China Plain. Firstly, a food chain approach was adopted to understand drivers and reasons behind N losses from the food system.Secondly, a top-down approach was used to define multi-objective N management, taking into consideration food security, environmental sustainability and economic sustainability. Multi-objective N management aims to reduce N losses to the environment and increase N use efficiencies,while simultaneously increasing yields and economic benefits. Thirdly, 3R(reduce-retain-recycle) N management strategies were identified for specific crops and animals through a bottom-up approach and then analyzed the potential of these strategies to achieve the multi-objectives. Finally, there is a discussion of how to engage different stakeholders to promote the technologies implementation. This study provides new insights into the synergistic achievement of multi-objective N management in the food system and the development of environmentally-friendly agriculture.

Toward to agricultural green development by multi-objective zoning and nitrogen nutrient management:a case study in the Baiyangdian Basin,China

Although China has achieved great advancements toward national food security,the country is still confronted with a range of challenges,including natural resource stress,imbalanced diets and environmental pollution.Optimized management of crop–livestock systems is the key measure to realize agricultural green transformation.However,optimized management of crop–livestock systems that use multi-objective zoning is lacking.This study employed a multi-objective zoning management approach to comprehensively analyze four indicators:ammonia volatilization,nitrogen surplus,soil carrying capacity and ecological red line area.With its significant ecological integrity and a strong emphasis on sustainability,the Baiyangdian Basin serves as a unique and suitable test case for conducting analyses on multi-objective nutrient optimization management,with the aim to facilitate the agricultural green transformation.This study finds that less than 8%of the area in the Baiyangdian Basin meet the acceptable environmental indicator standard,whereas around 50%of the area that had both nitrogen surplus and ammonia volatilization exceeded the threshold.Implementation of unified management,that is,the same management technique across the study areas,could result in an increase of areas meeting environmental indicator thresholds to 21.1%.This project developed a novel multi-indicator partition optimization method,in which distinct measures are tailored for different areas to satisfy multiple environmental indicators.Implementation of this method,could potentially bring more than 50%area below the threshold,and areas with ammonia emissions and nitrogen surplus could be reduced to 15.8%.The multi-indicators partition optimization method represents a more advanced and efficiency-oriented management approach when compared to unified management.This approach could be regarded as the best available option to help China achieve agricultural transformation to improve efficient production and reduce environmental pollution.It is recommended that current policies aimed at nutrient management toward sustainable agricultural development should shift toward the application of multi-indicators partition optimization.

Green intelligent fertilizers——A novel approach for aligning sustainable agriculture with green development

This review addresses the growing disparity between the current state of fertilizer production in China and the evolving demands of green agriculture in the 21st century. It explores major advances in fertilizers, proposes the concept of green intelligent fertilizers and develops new strategies aligned with the principles of green development in fertilizer industry and agriculture.Green intelligent fertilizers may be designed to maximize the synergistic effects among plants, soils, microorganisms, nutrient sources and the environment. This concept emphasizes the integration of industry and agriculture toward green development for entire industry chain, using an interdisciplinary approach to drive the green transformation of fertilizer industry, and promote green and sustainable development of agriculture. By bridging the gap between the current state of fertilizer industry and a growing need for environmentally responsible agricultural practices, this review highlights a path toward harmonizing fertilizer production with the imperatives of green agriculture.

Toward sustainable food systems: global initiatives and innovations

A recent UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) analysis indicated a significant regression in the global SDG goal scores, particularly in SDG 2—Zero Hunger. The emissions of environmental pollution caused by meeting food demands have prompted some countries to intensify their climate change mitigation efforts. These circumstances have introduced significant uncertainty to the future global sustainable food development. Additionally, a notable global challenge is the persistence of hidden hunger, primarily characterized by the insufficient consumption of high-quality animal protein. Addressing this issue would necessitate increased environmental costs to attain high-quality food security. The future food system presents a significant challenge in coordinating food security, food quality and environmental quality. This article presents a comprehensive review and proposes a three-step strategy for future agricultural development based on food security, quality, and environmental aspects. This is a novel food system transfer strategy, as it concurrently addresses both global food security and environmental thresholds. It involves the construction of an efficient food system that operates within the constraints of environmental limits. The objective is to align with global SDG indicators and to maintain natural resource consumption and pollutant emissions within planetary boundaries.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of SrTiO_(3) powder induced by europium dopants

In this work,Eu^(3+)doped SrTiO_(3)powders were synthesized by sol-gel method and the influences of Eu^(3+)dopants on the crystalline structure,micro structure mo rphology,electronic band-gap and photocatalytic performance for degradation of o rganic pollutant were investigated in detail.Research results reveal that the incorporated Eu^(3+)ions in SrTiO_(3)lattice are preferable to substitute the Sr^(2+)-Ti^(4+)ions pair by two Eu^(3+)ions.The presence of Eu^(3+)ions plays a significant role for the microstructure morphology of the S rTiO_(3)powders,leading to the formation of smaller size nanoparticles with a higher specific surface area.The light absorption capability of the resulting materials is improved owing to the narrowing of the band-gap induced by Eu^(3+)dopants.As a result,the enhanced photocatalytic activity application for photodegradation of Rhodamine B solution is demonstrated for the SrTiO_(3)powders doped with Eu^(3+)ions.

AGRICULTURAL GREEN DEVELOPMENT IN THE ERHAI LAKE BASIN-THE WAY FORWARD

Pollution of high-altitude lake basins by agriculture and rural activities,and the control of this pollution,have received increasing attention from academic research and government policy in China.Series of restrictions and regulations have been implemented to protect the surface,water quality.These restrictions and regulations have greatly impacted and transformed the agricultural systems and rural livelihoods surrounding these lake basins.Using Erhai Lake basin in Yunnan Province as a case study,three main challenges were identified for concurrently decreasing pollution in the lake and increasing farmer income.It is contended that scientifically-sound environmental protection policies and agricultural green development practices are key to reversing the current situation.This will help to protect the lake from pollution while smallholder farmers will be able to produce healthy food in an environmentally sustainable manner,and with a fair remuneration for all the services farmers providetothe society.