Spatiotemporal evolution and network dynamics of climate resilience in China’s food production

Background Agriculture and food security are key areas for climate change adaptation efforts. Amid the interplay between climate change and coordinated regional development, revealing the spatiotemporal evolution and network dynamics of China’s food production resilience holds significant theoretical and policy implications for synergistically enhancing resilience and promoting regional balance. Methods Based on statistical measurements of climate resilience in food production (CRFP), this paper comprehensively analyzes the evolutionary characteristics and driving factors of China’s CRFP from the perspectives of spatiotemporal dynamics, regional disparities, and spatial correlation networks. Results The research results indicate that China’s CRFP showed an overall upward trend from 2000 to 2022, but exhibited fluctuations and regional disparities, along with strong spatial dependence and spillover effects. Since 2006, the eastern region has surpassed other areas in terms of CRFP, and the gap has gradually widened, while the resilience level in the northeastern region is relatively low and more volatile. Additionally, China’s CRFP demonstrates extensive spatial correlation network characteristics, with increasingly tighter and more complex. The main driving factors influencing the spatial correlation network of CRFP include spatial geographic location, disparities in economic development levels, differences in industrial structure, and variations in agricultural mechanization levels. Conclusion The findings provide a quantitative basis and decision-making support for enhancing China’s CRFP and regional coordination, while also offering empirical evidence to advance interdisciplinary research at the intersection of climate change and food security.