<p>Decarbonizing agricultural energy-related consumption is an urgent imperative for fulfilling the global climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. This study quantifies carbon emission intensity from China’s agricultural energy-related consumption, identifying regional disparity magnitudes alongside their sources. Furthermore, we examine the dynamic convergence patterns of these emission intensities to determine whether these disparities have narrowed over time. Downward trend marked aggregate agricultural energy-related emission intensity in China. Disparity peaked both within major grain producing areas and between major grain producing areas and major production and sales balance areas. It also exhibited a catching-up pattern across various regions, with higher-intensity areas gradually narrowing the gap with lower-intensity ones. These findings demonstrate that agricultural carbon intensity is highly sensitive to local conditions, suggesting that effective climate action is rarely achieved through uniform mandates. Instead, our evidence highlights the necessity for agricultural economies worldwide to shift toward place-based policies that account for local realities, providing a practical reference for designing more targeted emission-reduction strategies.</p>