The development of green agriculture is crucial in the context of increasing pollution of arable land in China. In this study, the centralized treatment of contaminated cropland in China, initiated in 2016, is used as a quasi-natural experiment to assess its effectiveness through a difference-in-differences model (DID model) based on panel data from 30 provinces from 2011 to 2021. The study finds that, firstly, the centralized treatment of contaminated cropland has achieved remarkable results, increasing the area of cropland and agricultural output value in the treated areas. Secondly, the mechanism of the effect of centralized management of polluted cropland is green agricultural technology innovation. Finally, the centralized management of polluted cropland further reduces the intensity of agricultural carbon emissions through green agricultural technology innovation. The conclusions of the study provide suggestions and experiences for the centralized management of polluted croplands in China in the future.