TY - JOUR

T1 - Sustainable Plasticulture in Chinese Agriculture

T2 - a Review of Challenges and Routes to Achieving Long-term Food and Ecosecurity

AU - Cusworth, Sam

AU - Davies, Bill

AU - McAinsh, Martin

AU - Stevens, Carly

AU - Wang, Weilu

PY - 2024/3/31

Y1 - 2024/3/31

N2 - Plastic pollution is global concern, affecting most aspects of global food production systems. Plasticulture, a practice used in agriculture to improve crop quality and quantity, among other factors, is a significant source of plastic pollution. This review examines the extent of plasticulture in China, the implications of the practice across decades of use and the legislative instruments used to resolve those issues. It briefly assesses the effectiveness of these policies and proposes possible future innovations to promote increases in long-term food and eco-security, where sustainable plasticulture is a key agent for change. While plasticulture has increased agricultural productivity in growth-limiting conditions, plastic pollution in agricultural soils has become acute in China. Consequently, plastic pollution is having deleterious effects on soil health and in turn, crop productivity in China. Plastic pollution in agriculture is a multifaceted issue and so proposed solutions should be informed by this complexity. Current measures do not reflect a holistic approach to solving this socioecological challenge and adopt a top-down approach, with little or no supportive mechanisms. Future recommendations need to consider the particular set of conditions that influence the production, use and end-of-life management of agriplastics, specific to the environmental, economic and social conditions in each location.

AB - Plastic pollution is global concern, affecting most aspects of global food production systems. Plasticulture, a practice used in agriculture to improve crop quality and quantity, among other factors, is a significant source of plastic pollution. This review examines the extent of plasticulture in China, the implications of the practice across decades of use and the legislative instruments used to resolve those issues. It briefly assesses the effectiveness of these policies and proposes possible future innovations to promote increases in long-term food and eco-security, where sustainable plasticulture is a key agent for change. While plasticulture has increased agricultural productivity in growth-limiting conditions, plastic pollution in agricultural soils has become acute in China. Consequently, plastic pollution is having deleterious effects on soil health and in turn, crop productivity in China. Plastic pollution in agriculture is a multifaceted issue and so proposed solutions should be informed by this complexity. Current measures do not reflect a holistic approach to solving this socioecological challenge and adopt a top-down approach, with little or no supportive mechanisms. Future recommendations need to consider the particular set of conditions that influence the production, use and end-of-life management of agriplastics, specific to the environmental, economic and social conditions in each location.

KW - Circular plastics economy

KW - crop production

KW - food security

KW - plastic pollution

KW - sustainable plasticulture

U2 - 10.15302/j-fase-2023508

DO - 10.15302/j-fase-2023508

M3 - Review article

VL - 11

SP - 155

EP - 168

JO - Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (FASE)

JF - Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (FASE)

SN - 2095-7505

IS - 1

ER -