Research on China’s agricultural carbon emission efficiency evaluation and regional differentiation based on DEA and Theil models

The paper selects data envelopment analysis and Malmquist index (MI) models to evaluate the carbon emission efficiency of agriculture in China from a static and dynamic perspective. Then explore the different agricultural carbon emission efficiency in China. The results from the static analysis show that Chinese overall agricultural carbon emission efficiency is 0.654; most provinces are lower than this level, and in a situation of “the east of China is highest, and lowest in the west of China, and the central is between them.” China’s agricultural carbon emission efficiency has shown an overall increase, but there are large differences between regions. The technical efficiency index, technological progress index, and MI in the east are also highest in China, and lowest technical efficiency and technological progress index in the west of China; meanwhile, there is a big gap of technical efficiency in east and central of China. In terms of regional differences, the Theil coefficient is highest in the west of China. The average values of the Theil coefficient in the east of China are 0.199, and the central is 0.127. The agricultural carbon emission efficiency difference in the east of China was the smallest and relatively stable.