Study on the coupling coordination relationship between agricultural and rural modernization and greening from a county-level perspective in Jilin Province, China

Exploring the coupling coordination between agricultural and rural modernization (ARM) and agricultural and rural greening (ARG) is of strategic importance for ensuring both China’s food security and ecological sustainability. This study developed a comprehensive indicator system to evaluate the development levels of ARM and ARG. Taking 14 key counties in Jilin Province as a case study, the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method was employed to evaluate the ARM and ARG levels from 2012 to 2022. The spatiotemporal coordination was analyzed using a coupling coordination degree model and spatial autocorrelation analysis. The study reveals the following: (1) Both ARM and ARG levels in Jilin Province showed upward trends, with the pace of ARM development generally outpacing that of ARG; (2) Development levels exhibited east-west disparities, with Da’an and Zhenlai counties ranking highest in ARM and Changling and Wangqing counties highest in ARG; (3) Coupling coordination increased annually, transitioning from low to intermediate coordination, with the ranges of primary and intermediate coordination steadily expanding; (4) Spatial clustering was evident in coupling coordination, exhibiting a distinct ‘high in the west, low in the east’ gradient. This research advances theoretical understanding of the coordination between ARM and ARG and provides empirical support for China’s rural revitalization goal.