Abstract Agricultural carbon emissions are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and their intensity directly reflects the ecological sustainability of agricultural production. As an emerging driver of economic growth, the integration of the digital economy and real economy has the potential to play a crucial role in promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of agriculture. However, empirical evidence on the specific mechanisms and spatial spillover effects through which digital–real economy integration affects agricultural carbon emission intensity remains limited. Based on panel data from 31 Chinese provinces (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) for the period 2011–2023, this study constructs an evaluation index system for digital–real economy integration. It applies a two-way fixed effects model, a coupling coordination model, and a spatial Durbin model to investigate its effects, underlying mechanisms, and spatial characteristics. The results show that digital–real economy integration significantly reduces agricultural carbon emission intensity through three pathways: promoting digital transformation, improving resource use efficiency, and fostering technological innovation. Spatial analysis further reveals significant spatial spillover effects, with stronger impacts observed in regions with higher economic development levels, stronger digital infrastructure, and higher agricultural labor productivity. These findings enhance the understanding of the relationship between digital–real economy integration and agricultural carbon reduction, provide a reference for the formulation of differentiated low-carbon agricultural policies, and offer Chinese insights into the global low-carbon agricultural transition.
Qiu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.