Improving rural multifunctionality (RM) is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of sustainable consumption and production. This study establishes a clear link between functional composition, interaction and urban-rural integration, constructs a system of indicators for evaluating RM, and examines the interactions between functions using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient to determine the dominant function type. The results show that: (1) Villages in most counties in Henan Province are in the polarized or dominant development type. Only a few villages dominated by non-agricultural production are able to realize comprehensive and balanced development. (2) Functional and spatial differentiation exists in rural areas of different types of counties. The non-agricultural production function is more prominent in villages around cities, while villages in mountainous and hilly areas emphasize the ecological conservation function. The development of villages in plains and remote areas focuses on agricultural production function. (3) The relationship between RM is complex and diverse. Agricultural production often constrains other functions. The development of non-agricultural production functions has a positive effect on the improvement of social security functions. Cultural tourism and ecological conservation functions are mutually reinforcing. This study enhances the understanding of overall pattern and type differences of RM and provides valuable insights for formulating more targeted regional economic development policies in the future.

Based on the coupling coordination development model, this study evaluated the coupling and coordination degrees between agricultural economic growth and rural ecological environment using data from Hunan Province, China, from 2007 to 2021. The results revealed that: (1) Except for a slight fluctuation in 2013, Hunan Province’s agricultural economy has steadily developed. The eco-environmental evaluation index first decreases and then increases. Together, this index and that for the agricultural economy exhibit a “scissor shape.” However, since 2013, they have maintained a stable, synchronized development trend. (2) The coupling degree is slightly low in 2007, high in other years, and indicates high-quality coupling overall. (3) The coordinated development degree exhibits two stages: fluctuations from 2007 to 2016 and stead growth from 2017 to 2021. Currently, coordinated development is at a moderate level. (4) The composite system of agricultural economic growth and ecological environment in Hunan Province has successively exhibited the following phases: Economic extremely lag, economic serious lag, environmental relatively lag, and environmental serious lag.This suggests that the agricultural economy's high-quality growth should be coordinated with the ecological environment. Areas of focus can include optimizing the agriculture industry structure; developing environment-friendly agricultural industries; strengthening the role of science and technology, especially big data technology, in agricultural economic growth; and strengthening the government’s macro-guidance.

Under the rural revitalization strategy, farmers’ livelihood strategy is transitioning from unitary traditional agriculture to multiple dominant strategy. The adoption of non-agricultural livelihood strategy is not only a mitigation plan for agricultural livelihood vulnerability, but also a means to achieve the goal of rural revitalization. Based on the relevant literature from 2000 to 2023, this study adopts meta-analysis method to comprehensively review the researches on non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection at home and abroad, and discusses the influence of livelihood capital on non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection from the perspective of sustainable livelihood. The findings are as follows: First, the direct effects of livelihood capital on non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection are different: financial capital, human capital and social capital all have promoting effects on farmers’ non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection; Natural capital has inhibitory effect on farmers’ choice of non-agricultural livelihood strategy. The effect of physical capital on farmers’ non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection is not significant. Second, non-agricultural livelihood types and terrain characteristics have a moderating effect on non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection: both non-agricultural livelihood types (engaged in industry or business) and terrain characteristics have a moderating effect on the relationship between livelihood capital and non-agricultural livelihood strategy selection. Therefore, farmers can be guided to choose non-agricultural livelihood strategies by optimizing the allocation of livelihood capital.

Coal burning is the prevailing way of heating in winter in rural areas of northern China, especially in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and their surrounding areas. Regrettably, the direct burning of large amounts of bulk coal is a major contributor to the serious air pollution and frequent heavy pollution days in winter in northern China. It is urgent to find ways for promoting the smooth implementation and sustainable development of clean heating in rural areas, while ensuring affordable heating solutions for rural residents. Conducting research on the WTP of rural residents for clean heating and its influencing factors can provide greater technical support for better promoting clean heating in rural areas. Through field visits and questionnaire surveys in rural areas of Shandong, Hebei, Henan and Shaanxi provinces, data on the willingness of rural residents to pay for clean heating was obtained. A multivariate regression model was then constructed based on the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to measure and analyze the willingness of residents to pay for clean heating and its influencing factors. Findings reveal that the highest willingness to pay (WTP) was in Hebei at 2388 yuan and its lowest was observed in Shandong at 1595 yuan, with Henan and Shaanxi registering 1608 yuan and 1929 yuan, respectively. WTP is significantly negatively correlated with age and financial burden of clean heating costs after retrofit. WTP is significantly positively correlated with total household heating hours per year, total household heating area, total household income in 2023, affordable price increase, satisfaction with the overall clean heating project, satisfaction with gas (electricity) prices, satisfaction with heating equipment, and satisfaction with indoor temperature.

As the severity of climate change escalates, agriculture, being one of the primary contributors to global carbon emissions, has progressively come under scrutiny. Thus, fostering a low-carbon agriculture system is paramount in achieving the ambitious “dual carbon” goals of reaching peak carbon and attaining carbon neutrality. This study engages urban panel data from the Yellow River Basin spanning 2001-2020 to compute the agricultural carbon emissions therein. The research harnesses a spatial Durbin model to probe the influencing mechanisms and spatial effects while examining the implications of agricultural mechanization on such emissions. The findings reveal: (1) From a spatiotemporal perspective, total agricultural carbon emissions within the Yellow River Basin exhibited an oscillating “M”-shaped pattern. Upon analyzing spatial patterns, the carbon emissions were highest downstream, moderate midstream, and least upstream, signifying pronounced regional disparities. (2) Concerning the causal elements, agricultural mechanization, from a direct effects standpoint, tends to somewhat diminish local agricultural carbon emissions. Regarding spillover effects, agricultural mechanization similarly represses carbon emissions in adjacent locales. (3) Heterogeneity analysis suggests that in the midstream cities, agricultural mechanization results in a significant decrease in agricultural carbon emissions. Contrarily, upstream and downstream cities witness a stimulating effect. At present, with China’s agricultural economy navigating intense environmental pressure, these insights lend invaluable support to practices aimed at curbing agricultural carbon emissions. By shedding light on the interaction between agricultural mechanization and carbon emissions, they offer a novel perspective and empirical data. In turn, these can contribute to formulating policies that seek to reignite rural areas while concurrently striving to meet the strategic objectives of peak carbon and carbon neutrality.

This paper investigates ecological asset accounting methods tailored for agricultural cultural heritage sites, specifically through the ancient tea forest cultural landscape of Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er. These heritage sites globally act as reservoirs of extensive cultural history and ecological richness, yet they face increasing risks and challenges from urban expansion and modernization. (1) The research develops a comprehensive methodological framework that merges ecological, economic, and cultural valuation techniques. This framework identifies and evaluates crucial ecological assets such as land, water, vegetation, fauna, and microorganisms, categorizing their value into direct values (e.g., agriculture), indirect values (e.g., flood control), and non-use values (e.g., biodiversity and cultural heritage). (2) It emphasizes the necessity of integrating cultural heritage preservation with ecological stewardship. This dual approach supports the sustainability of both cultural and natural resources, underpinning broader conservation goals and necessitating innovative management strategies for heritage conservation. (3) The study advocates for sustainable management practices that maintain the ecological and cultural integrity of these vital sites. Through detailed ecosystem analysis, the paper proposes balanced policies that cater to both ecological preservation and the socio-economic needs of local communities, promoting a replicable model for similar heritage sites worldwide. Overall, this model exemplifies how to effectively utilize ecological and cultural assets for sustainable development, ensuring the coexistence of natural and cultural values in a harmonious environment.