Development status and spatial distribution characteristics of “One Village One Product” in Hunan

【Objective】This study aimed to explore the development status and spatial distribution of the“ One Village One Product”（OVOP） program in Hunan， which could offer reference for optimizing the layout of rural characteristic industries and enhancing the level of modern agricultural development. 【Method】Data from 135 OVOP villages and towns announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs from 2011 to 2022 were utilized. Based on geographical information system（GIS） technique， and through spatial analysis techniques such as average nearest neighbor analysis， kernel density analysis， and migration of gravity center， the spatial distribution characteristics and evolution patterns of OVOP villages and towns in Hunan were analyzed. 【Result】The spatial distribution characteristics of OVOP demonstration villages and towns in Hunan were more distributed in the northwest， northeast and south， and less distributed in the central and midwest parts. From 2011 to 2022， these villages and towns showed extremely significant trend of aggregation （P<0.01）. The OVOP villages and towns in Hunan were mainly concentrated in Xiangxi with high-altitude and distinctive location-specific resources， as well as in cities with developed transportation and a favorable economy such as Changsha and Xiangtan. The industrial structure of OVOP exhibited imbalance development among different regions. The planting industry was the most prosperous industry， distributing everywhere in Hunan， with high-value areas mainly concentrated in the areas surrounding the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration. The product categories of OVOP program in Hunan encompassed a diverse range of product categories， each with distinct distribution characteristics. The top three categories were fruit， vegetable， and tea. Fruit production was mainly concentrated in the major production areas in the eastern， southern and western regions where mountains surround the areas，and had significant positive correlation with altitude（ P<0.05）. Vegetable production was mainly concentrated in the urban agricultural areas of the Changsha-Zhuzhou- Xiangtan region. Tea production was primarily concentrated in Xiangxi， which was the main tea-producing region. From 2011 to 2022， the number of OVOP approvals in Hunan exhibited a fluctuating growth trend. Simultaneously， the gravity center of OVOP showed a tendency to aggregation in the central region. 【Suggestion】To strengthen the exploration of characteristic resources， it is recommended to improve the quantity and quality of OVOP demonstration villages and towns. At the same time， it is crucial to prioritize the advancement of agricultural product processing， agriculture services industry， e-commerce，and information-based rural industry integration platforms. These efforts can promote the integrated development of the primary， secondary and tertiary industries. In addition， it is necessary to optimize the layout of rural industries based on the location advantages of existing characteristic products. Attention should be given to differentiated brand positioning， multi-brand cultivation， diverse forms of promotion， and collaborative efforts in building brand influence.