Unveiling the Spatiotemporal Drivers of Green Utilization Efficiency of Cultivated Land in China: A PEST-GTWR Framework

Promoting green utilization of cultivated land is the key to balancing resource use and ecological capacity. However, its working mechanisms are still unclear. This study attempts to address this empirical research gap through a three-stage cyclic system (Input-State-Output). It employed the PEST framework (Politics, Economy, Society, Technology) to identify external drivers. Using advanced methods, including the Super-SBM model, Dagum Gini coefficient, and Kernel density estimation, this paper mapped the spatiotemporal drivers of China’s green utilization efficiency of cultivated land (GUECL) between 2000 and 2020. The results indicate that despite some variation, the GUECL exhibited a distinct upward tendency over the study period. Spatially, efficiency was highest in northeastern China, while eastern and western China indicated moderate efficiency, and it was the lowest in central China. Regional differences generally narrowed, with trans-variation remaining the primary source of differences. External drivers varied across regions. At the national level, fiscal support and the R&D staff reduced GUECL, while economic growth increased it. In contrast, at the regional level, environmental regulation helped in western China, while income disparity boosted it in central China. Moreover, farm size and machinery use promoted GUECL in the eastern, central, and northeastern China, while cropping intensity and farmer education had positive effects in the central and eastern regions. This study provides a scientific foundation for developing region-specific strategies to promote the green utilization of cultivated land. It provides a valuable Chinese case for global research on sustainable land use.