Abstract
Meeting global food demands by 2050 requires a 45–60% increase in agricultural production. Plasticulture has emerged as a pivotal yet controversial solution. Here we perform a meta-analysis synthesizing the findings of global studies and reveal that plastic mulch enhances crop yields by 28.7% and water use efficiency by 48.9% under diversified systems. In China (2015–2024), plasticulture contributed an additional 189 million tons (Mt) of staple food, conserved 33.5 million hectares of arable land, and reduced emissions by 438 Mt CO₂-equivalent. However, persistent plastic residues degrade soils, and nanoplastics infiltrate food chains, posing ecological and health risks. Despite global negotiations (2024–2025), a binding UN treaty on plastic pollution remains stalled due to disparities among players. To reconcile productivity with sustainability, we propose six evidence-based priorities: (1) scaling integrated eco-farming systems with AI-driven precise application of soil mulches; (2) accelerating material innovation, focusing on biodegradable films and organic-based alternatives; (3) deploying blockchain-enabled circular economies for plastic waste; (4) improving reuse and recycling infrastructure; (5) implementing localized incentive mechanisms to support plastic-free farming; and (6) integrating plastic management into UN carbon trading frameworks. These strategies can pivot plasticulture toward a climate-resilient, ecologically sustainable model—balancing food security with environmental stewardship in an era of climate uncertainty.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and analyzed in the current study, including source data for the display items, have been deposited in the Fishare repository [https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.6025748]65. Source data are provided with this paper.
Code availability
No new code was generated in the analysis.
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Acknowledgements
This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32472826), Leading Project of the “Three Agri-Priorities with Nine Directions” Science and Technology Collaboration Plans in Zhejiang Province of China (No. 2025SNJF016), Central Government Funds for Guiding Local Scientific and Technological Development (2025ZY01039), Wenzhou University Research Start-up Fund of China (No. QD2024084), Wenzhou City Talent Introduction Fund of China (R20241101), Key Research and Development Program of Gansu Province (24YFNJ003), Gansu Leading Talent Program, and Central Government Guiding Fund for Local Science and Technology Development Project (24ZYQA036).
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L.W.1 and G.Y.G. conceptualized the work, analyzed data and wrote original draft; S.G., Y.Z.9, X.Z., P.L., and W.Y. contributed experimental materials; T.G., K.M.M., M.H., Y.I., J.Z., Y.Z.15, D.D., Y.Y., S.K., C.H., and M.Z. brought out the critical issues relative to the subject, reviewed the draft and revisions, provided novel ideas to improve the work; S-J.L., S.F., L.W.1,3, and J.H. contributed subsection materials to the paper; L.W.1, G.Y.G., D.S., and Z.W. collected data, performed statistics, and constructed graphics; K.H.M.S. reviewed and revised revisions; All authors contributed to the manuscript, agreed on the contents and authorships, and approved the final version. G.Y.G. and L.W.1 finalized the manuscript for publication.
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Wang, L., Guo, S., Ge, T. et al. Plastic mulch productivity-sustainability tradeoffs and pathways toward an eco-friendly framework: insights from a global meta-analysis.
Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68798-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68798-2
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