Characteristics, Mechanisms, and Categorical Governance for Non‐Grain Crop Production of Cultivated Land in Hilly and Mountainous Regions: Implications for Sustainable Food Systems in Guangxi, China

ABSTRACT Sustainable agriculture and food systems in China's hilly regions face a critical challenge: balancing grain security with non‐grain production on cultivated land (NGPCL) on limited cultivated land. Using Guangxi as a case study, this research analyzes the evolution, drivers, and spatial patterns of NGPCL to develop a tiered management framework. The findings provide a governance foundation for achieving a sustainable balance between diverse food production and agricultural sustainability in these vital ecosystems. The results revealed that: (1) The NGPCL in Guangxi rose from 64.24% in 2014 to 69.70% in 2023, signifying a persistent intensification of the NGPCL trend. (2) Overall, the NGPCL in Guangxi exhibits a gradual increase from northeast to southwest, characterized by polarization and agglomeration trends. The high‐value areas are predominantly located in the border regions neighboring Vietnam. (3) The categories of NGPCL encompass seven types: vegetables, sugar crops, fruit trees, oil crops, tea plants, forest trees, and pond aquaculture. Vegetable production constitutes the predominant category within the NGPCL kinds in Guangxi. The distribution characteristics of the prominent varieties of NGPCL exhibit significant regional disparities, intimately linked to the local agricultural industrial configuration and resource endowments. (4) Fiscal expenditure (FE) is the principal determinant of the spatial differentiation of NGPCL, resulting in three primary driving modes: “policy‐industry factor dual‐drive,” “policy‐income factor coordinated drive,” and “policy‐locational factor coupled drive.” (5) By concentrating on the combinatorial attributes and formation mechanisms of various predominant types of NGPCL, a systematically categorized management and control framework was developed, encompassing bottom‐line control, optimized control, and stringent control, thereby establishing a foundation for the precise governance of NGPCL in analogous hilly and mountainous areas.