When we talk about green agricultural products, we first think of "no pesticides" and "organic farming." Now, "green" has a new benchmark—"carbon footprint." The "carbon footprint" of agricultural products is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout their growth, processing, and transportation.
In Pujiang County, Sichuan Province, leveraging its geographical advantage at 30° North latitude and relying on technological empowerment and green planting, several citrus products have obtained "carbon label" certification, making their "carbon footprint" traceable. These citrus products are highly favored by the market and command prices 10% to 30% higher than similar products.
Technology empowers green planting, and oranges are gaining momentum.
In 2020, Pujiang launched the "Two Substitutions" project throughout the county. Now, citrus has become a pillar industry in Pujiang's agriculture. During the 2025-2026 harvest season, the citrus planting area in Pujiang reached 450,000 mu (approximately 30,000 hectares). Meanwhile, this year's total output is expected to reach 1.1 million tons, with an estimated direct output value of 7.2 billion yuan, driving the industrial chain output value to 10 billion yuan. What are the new secrets behind the development of Pujiang's citrus industry? Let's take a look at the on-site visit by CCTV reporter Jiang Lin↑
A carbon label adds extra value to citrus fruits, making them even sweeter.
The "carbon label" for citrus fruits is actually an eco-label. Calculations show that the total carbon footprint of a single Pujiang citrus fruit produced and sold is 0.2956 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent, nearly half the carbon emissions of ordinary citrus fruits. How does the "carbon label" add value to the already sweet citrus fruit?
The harvest of Pujiang Aiyuan oranges is nearing its end. Farmers are busy picking the final batches while also cleaning up the orchards.
Organic waste such as straw, second-hand fruit, and livestock and poultry manure are crushed, fermented, and then returned to the field, effectively reducing the use of chemical fertilizers. This not only improves the soil but also avoids water pollution and reduces carbon emissions.
Reporters found that many citrus orchards in Pujiang have negative lists for the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in citrus cultivation. These lists prohibit the use of highly toxic pesticides, as well as illegal preservatives, antiseptics, and additives. They even specify the harvesting and market launch periods for different citrus varieties.
Li Jing, Director of the Plant Protection Station of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Pujiang County, Chengdu: Our supervision focuses on three key aspects. At the source, we have formulated a list of prohibited and restricted inputs, issued a "zero tolerance" notice, and clearly defined the red lines for use and the consequences of violations. Before the products are put on the market, we have fully implemented a certificate of conformity system, strengthened random inspections, and strictly prevented premature harvesting and market entry, thus achieving closed-loop management across the entire chain.
In the orchards where the Papao tangerines are about to be harvested, white plastic sheeting is being used to protect the trees from the cold. Green pest control methods, including natural enemy control, physical and chemical induction, and biological pesticides, are comprehensively safeguarding the Papao tangerines during their ripening period.
By replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers and chemical pest control with green pest control, and by adhering to strict standards and full-chain quality control, Pujiang citrus has successively obtained multiple green and environmentally friendly labels such as national geographical indication certification and low-carbon certification in recent years.
Zhang Yingliang, Director of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Pujiang County, Chengdu: It is precisely based on this ecological foundation that Pujiang citrus has successfully obtained "carbon label" certification, realizing a brand leap from "selling by weight" to "selling by quality", making green and low-carbon a lasting competitive advantage for Pujiang agricultural products.
Today, Pujiang County has built 103 "two substitutions" and "zero pesticide residue" bases, driving the ecological transformation of 450,000 mu of citrus orchards throughout the county.
A carbon label opens up a huge market for small citrus fruits
In international trade, "carbon labeling" has become a universal code for agricultural products to "go global." Today, products such as Ehime jelly oranges and Papaya tangerines from Pujiang, Sichuan, have successively opened the doors to markets in Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and other countries and regions by virtue of "carbon labeling."
At a citrus processing enterprise in Pujiang County, the assembly line in the sorting workshop is running at high speed, performing the final sorting of Ehime oranges destined for overseas markets. The "fruit selection standards" on the sorting line hold the first key to the export of citrus.
On the sorting line, high-precision electronic scales use weight as the core to quickly sort out small, medium, and large fruits for precise grading; high-precision industrial cameras quickly scan and screen out fruits with blemishes or spots, and infrared scanning technology eliminates products that do not meet the sugar content standard. Even large fruits that meet the sweetness standard will be rejected.
Sorting standards control the "appearance" of citrus fruits exported overseas, while green upgrades in packaging and warehousing overcome the "low-carbon" hurdle in the international market. In Pujiang, through technological innovation, corrugated cardboard boxes are used for the outer packaging of citrus fruits, and new intelligent thermal defrosting equipment is used for temperature control, ensuring that the entire chain of operations from sorting and storage to warehousing adheres to green and low-carbon standards. Professional calculations have shown a significant reduction in the product's carbon footprint.
Today, Pujiang citrus has obtained national geographical indication product and low-carbon certification. Carbon labels, as a "green link" connecting the entire chain of management, enable full traceability of the carbon footprint of citrus, making "green" visible and quantifiable.
Yuan Xinglin, Director of the Commerce and Logistics Bureau of Pujiang County: On the planting side, we have mainly taken two measures. The first measure is to distribute "two substitutions" agricultural subsidies to the vast number of fruit farmers in the county. The second measure is to promote the linkage between "carbon labeling" and green finance. Through these two methods, we have greatly enhanced the enthusiasm of the vast number of fruit farmers in the county to carry out green and low-carbon production.
Today, Pujiang has three fruit "carbon labels" for Ehime oranges, Papaya tangerines, and kiwifruit, driving the industry's annual output value to exceed 10 billion yuan, and 260,000 Pujiang fruit farmers sharing the benefits of green and low-carbon practices.
"Carbon footprint" becomes a new benchmark for green agricultural products.
Currently, including citrus fruits, Chinese scientists have included 27 agricultural products in 8 major categories, such as staple grains, vegetables, and sugar crops, into the agricultural product carbon footprint factor benchmark database, achieving full monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions generated from all inputs and management activities from sowing to harvest.
Carbon reduction in agricultural products mainly includes the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in production, energy consumption of agricultural machinery, energy consumption in processing, and carbon emissions in packaging.
Currently, my country is building its first benchmark database for agricultural product carbon footprint factors. Scientists have completed the construction of carbon footprint factor datasets for agricultural products such as wheat, corn, rice, apples, citrus, peanuts, vegetables, and sugarcane, and have drawn spatial feature maps of agricultural product carbon footprint factors. They have integrated the precise measurement of five key emission sources, including fertilizer application, pesticide use, mulch film covering, irrigation energy consumption, and mechanized farming, and formed a benchmark for agricultural product carbon footprint emissions based on provincial-level administrative regions, and established a standardized accounting process.
It is projected that by 2027, the database capacity will expand to 50 core agricultural products, and by 2035, a comprehensive carbon footprint factor benchmark database covering all agricultural product categories will be fully established.
Han Xue, Associate Researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences: Why should we produce low-carbon agricultural products? I think that for the entire agricultural sector, once you have calculated your carbon emissions and understood your baseline, it will be more conducive to the green and low-carbon transformation of the entire agricultural industry.
(CCTV News Client, CCTV reporters Wang Kaibo, Li Jie, Liu Yuexin, Wen Xiao, Jiang Lin)
