Assessing the Convergence of Cropland Ecological Balance: A Panel Data Analysis of 13 Major Agricultural Countries

This study investigates the convergence hypothesis and stochastic dynamics of agricultural land use and ecological balance across 13 major agricultural countries from 1992 to 2022. The study's concentrated samples are Russia, the United States, the Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, China, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Indonesia, and India. The research uncovers notable variations in ecological balance by utilizing a comprehensive set of advanced panel unit root tests (Panel CIPS, CADF, Panel-LM, Panel-KPSS, and Bahmani-Oskooee et al.’s Panel KPSS Unit Root Test). The findings highlight significant improvements in Canada, contrasting with declines in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the United States. The results indicate convergence in ecological balance among these countries, suggesting that agricultural practices are progressively aligning with sustainability objectives. The considered countries can determine and enact joint and collective policy actions addressing cropland sustainability. However, the univariate outcome also shows that the cropland ecological balance of Germany, China, France, Indonesia, and India does contain a unit root and stationary which means the presence of the constant-mean. The univariate actions from the mentioned governments will not promote persistent impact. Therefore, joint actions determined by the countries considered are recommended for the mentioned countries. However, the rest of the countries also enact local policies. The insights gained are critical for informing global sustainability strategies and aiding policymakers in developing effective measures to enhance agricultural practices and mitigate environmental impacts. This research provides a data-driven foundation for optimizing agricultural sustainability and supports international efforts to achieve long-term ecological stability.