The decoupling effect between net agricultural carbon emissions and economic growth based on LCA

Measuring carbon emissions in agricultural production comprehensively and accurately are the basis for promoting low-carbon emission reduction in agriculture and a prerequisite for improving sustainable agricultural development. Existing literature has lacked analysis of the measurement of net carbon emissions from regional agricultural production and its decoupling status from economic growth. This study constructs a net carbon emissions measurement system for agricultural production by fully considering the carbon sources and sinks in the whole process of agricultural production activities from the perspective of the whole life cycle of agricultural production. In addition, it introduces the spatial Moran index, combines the analysis of time-series characteristics, constructs an evaluation method for the time-series evolution and spatial distribution characteristics of regional agricultural carbon emissions (ACE), and proposes a method to characterise the decoupling state of ACE from the perspective of net carbon emissions by time period. Finally, taking Anhui Province as an example, the feasibility of the method was verified. It was found that the ACE in Anhui Province reached a maximum of 19.35 million tonnes in 2013 during the study period, and different regions have differences in ACE. The positive spatial correlation of the carbon emissions intensity of agricultural production showed an increasingly strong trend, and the decoupling state was optimised across Anhui Province as a whole. Our findings provide theoretical support for the formation of scientific and accurate policies to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable development in agriculture.