Provincial level-based emergy evaluation of crop production system and development modes in China

► We present a multi-objective indicator system for crop production system evaluation. ► The study proposes three new emergy indicators for the evaluation. ► We have a case study of the 31 provinces in mainland China. ► The 31 provinces in mainland China can be divided into 10 development modes. ► The efficient production periods of crops have been used to revise the emergy inputs.