Abstract:
Accelerating the development of the green food industry is of great significance in improving the supply capacity of high-quality agricultural products, promoting the sustainable and modernized development of agriculture, and meeting the growing demand for a better life of the people. This paper evaluated the level of green food development based on panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2019, and explored the impact of international trade in agricultural products on the level of regional green food development, examining the differences between agricultural and non-agricultural provinces. The results showed that, the level of international trade in agricultural products, including the level of export trade, had a significant positive effect on the development of green food, even when superimposed on the shortage of arable land or labour shortage; the increase in industrial agglomeration could further promote the positive effect of trade in agricultural products. This paper proposed targeted countermeasures to improve the level of international trade in agricultural products, to classify and implement policies for institutional construction, and to guide multiple actors to participate in the development of the green food industry.