Zheng Zhang ¹ Shu Jiang ¹ Bing Shen ¹ Yuanyuan Mei ¹ Xiaran Zhang ^2*

• ¹ Shandong University of Finance and Economics, Jinan, China
• ² School of Management, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong Province, China

Background: Agricultural activities are the second largest source of its greenhouse gas emissions in China, making it imperative to prioritize the reduction of carbon emissions in agriculture to achieve carbon neutrality. Agricultural modernization is recognized as a key strategy for achieving this reduction. In response, China has introduced a smart agriculture policy to catalyze the progress of agricultural modernization. However, it is not clear that the policy will achieve agriculture carbon reductions.Purpose: To examine the impact and mechanism of smart agriculture policy on agricultural carbon emissions, thereby facilitating the transition towards low-carbon practices in agriculture.Methods: Using panel data across China's 31 provinces from 2001 to 2020, this paper applies a multiperiod differences-in-differences (DID) method to assess the impact and mechanisms of the smart agriculture policy on carbon reduction.Results: ①The smart agriculture policy exerts a significant positive influence on reducing agricultural carbon emission. ②The policy's effectiveness is particularly notable in China's central and western regions and non-grain producing areas, in contrast to the limited impact observed in the eastern provinces and grain-producing areas. ③Smart agriculture policies have greatly reduced agricultural carbon emissions by promoting the agricultural-scale operation and the advancement of agricultural technology.The paper reveals that smart agriculture policy has a positive effect on carbon emission reduction and provides relevant policy recommendations for the government. This has considerable implications for promoting sustainable agriculture.