Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in the Efficiency of Agricultural Eco-Product Value Conversion: An Empirical Study from China

Understanding the efficiency of agricultural eco-product value realization is critical for sustainable development and regional equity. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns and regional disparities in the value realization efficiency of agricultural ecological products across China’s 31 provinces from 2010 to 2022. Utilizing an advanced Super-NSBM model, we quantify three dimensions of efficiency: overall value realization, economic value conversion, and social welfare value realization. Spatial mapping and dynamic evolution analysis are conducted through Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition and conditional kernel density estimation. Our results reveal three key insights: (1) China’s agricultural eco-product value realization efficiency remains suboptimal, with a gradual upward trend. Economic value conversion outperforms social welfare value realization, which exhibits significant regional heterogeneity. A distinct east–west gradient is observed, with Western regions demonstrating notable progress despite initial inefficiencies. (2) Inter-regional disparities are narrowing, particularly between Eastern and Central regions. While polarization in Northeast China has diminished, Western regions show widening efficiency gaps and emerging polarization trends. (3) Regional differences are predominantly driven by inter-group disparities, with Eastern China exhibiting the lowest intra-regional variability. Cross-regional differences follow a U-shaped trajectory, decreasing initially before rebounding in recent years. These findings provide a robust empirical foundation for optimizing regional strategies in ecological product value conversion and offer critical insights for addressing spatial inequities in sustainable agricultural development.